Azaab‘s debut album has arrived.
Formed in 2016 in Pakistan, the band consists of Saad Latif (vocals), Shahab Khan (guitar), Afraz Mamoon (guitar), Waqar Ghayas (bass) and Adhitya Perkasa (drums, Siksakubur) for the release of Summoning The Cataclysm, via Satanath Records.
The album opens with Pandemonium Twilight, a mysterious and dark introduction that reveals the Prog influences before the sound explodes, revealing a solid Death Metal that leads us to Carbon Plague, a composition on which the band welcomes Nicholas Vahdias (Brutal Sphere, Evocator) and Aissam El Hassani (Vile Utopia) on vocals. We feel that the band is anchored in pure brutality, embellished by more complex elements, then the rhythmic slows down for A Hollow Pact and its heavy roots. The track knows how to be heavy, but also energetic enough to break necks or place dissonant leads, just like on Preacher of Hate and its thick rage. One obviously feels that the band places an abrasive complexity under its layer of raw violence while remaining quite Old School and efficient, then When Worlds Collide will welcome Bobby Koelble (Leviathan Project, ex-Death) for soaring leads that contrast with the raw and crushing base. Phil Tougas (Atramentus, Chthe’ilist, First Fragment, ex-Serocs…) will join the band for the brutal The Infernal Citadel, a composition as devastating as polished. The verses will be perfect for moshing and the leads will allow us to appreciate the mastery of the musicians, then Trophies Of Flesh anchors itself in the darkness while remaining abrasive and powerful. The leads bring these haunting elements that are contrasted with the extreme violence of the blasts and fast riffs, but the band will also tackle a cover of a well known band, the Polish Decapitated. The title they chose is The Empty Throne, from their 2004 album which already let very groovy roots appear in this efficient technicality. The track keeps its catchy identity, then the album ends with B.L.O.O.D.B.O.R.N, a rather old school composition that puts the Brutal Death influences in the spotlight, while letting the complexity surface at times.
Although quite young, Azaab clearly knows what Death Metal is, and the band wants us to know it. Between Brutal Death and more complex Prog influences, Summoning The Cataclysm will reveal us a spectrum of violence as polished as soaring.
80/100
