Last year ushered in two unique demos that would later fester into fruition a split crafted by hands cloaked in shadow, dredged in filth, while leaving a resonation that would ultimately prove unforgettable. Those entities would become known as Manchester’s Axis Of Light and New Jersey’s Death Fortress, through whose usage of raw, unbridled aggression would place them at the top of everyone’s watch list. Fast forward to 2013 and the two have come to combine that agression into one single misshapen beast that simply cannot be contained amongst the confines of genre specific expectations.
Axis Of Light set the stage with a two part ripper that builds upon elements found within By The Hands Of The Consuming Fire and elevates it to a level that I can only describe as pure scathing chaos. Their approach to dismally punishing the listener throughout is an art in and of itself, desperately pushing blackened noise through reverberated hymns that wax and wane proportionately within contexts that weigh upon encapsulating dissonance. Through their first installment, Axis Of Light rain down a torrent of screeching torment that cascades amongst pulsing snare assaults and almost catchy riffage, all the while setting the stage for an unpredictable switch into a second offering. The remainder of the track is by far the strongest work they have put forth to date, spewing a veritable tsunami of misanthropic dinge across an unfaltering descent into an omnipresent atmosphere littered with blistering range that is sure to quench your thirst for unrivaled hate.
Next up is the one man blackened death project Death Fortress. Balancing between equal parts funeral dirge, and hyper intensive onslaught, Death Fortress find the perfect formula to expand their ideas within Pulling Ancient Stone across a ten minute venture. A paced hypnotic effort creeps into the corners of your subconscious, drawing and engaging simultaneously raptured senses as entropy, dispair, and unrelenting fury push tentatively onward. An abstract design hides between the folds that lapse amidst subtle nuances throughout, creating a more substantial sound overall delivers through every tumultuous second, resulting in an overshadowing wall of sound that cannot be penetrated, only absorbed.
This split simply could not be more satisfying, be it I’m going against the grain and saying I was more impressed with Death Fortress’ offering, this was a very solid split from two bands that I hope to hear more from in the future. The split is out now via Fallen Empire Records.
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