The story of Maceration is not over.
Created in Denmark in 1990, the band released two demos and one album before fading away. But in 2021, Jakob Schultz (guitar, ex-Invocator) and Lars Bangsholt (guitar, PLPB, ex-Iconoclasm) announced the band’s return, followed by the recruitment in 2022 of Jan Bergmann Jepsen (vocals, Cor Vacante), Robert Tengs (bass) and Rasmus Schmidt (drums, Illdisposed, Killing Gandhi) and the release of It Never Ends, their second album, through Emanzipation Productions.
The album was recorded with Dan Swanö (Nightingale, ex-Bloodbath, ex-Edge of Sanity, ex-Pan.Thy.Monium…), former vocalist of the band.
Lost in Depravity immediately makes us sink into a macabre and disturbing atmosphere before revealing massive riffs with Old School tonalities, as well as piercing leads and wild screams. Melodic harmonics join the aggressive rhythm leading to Epiphany of the Past and its dark but heady sounds which turn into crushing riffs complemented by vocal parts. Arcane Secrets follows with a soaring dissonance to which raw blast is grafted before the onslaught is given, completed by some powerful accelerations which punctuate the effective track, followed by It Never Ends…, the eponymous track, which welcomes some unhealthy Black Metal tones in this straightforward and fast basis. The rhythmic remains quite regular, offering some slower parts before starting pure violence again, then Engulfed in Agony unveils some very jerky riffs which perfectly fit with the lively patterns followed by these hypnotic leads which drop us on A Sacrifice of Pity, a rather short track which exclusively relies on a solid rhythmic and an inexhaustible rage to convince. On The Edge of Nothing reveals more heady and haunting elements to contrast with pure violence and frantic leads, then Tender Twigs of Innocence brings dissonant tones back to accompany the dark and slow rhythmic before the band comes back to aggressiveness. A final oppressive riff guides us to Monolith of the Cursed, a short final track which offers wild elements in Old School Death Metal’s tradition of with thick but melodic Swedish influences.
The legend of Maceration is back to life to offer us an aggressive and thick sound, which leaves no doubt about their inspiration. It Never Ends is sure to be enjoyed while reminding us of the band and style’s early days.
85/100