Make way for violence with Carnosus!
For this third album, Jonatan Karasiak (vocals), Rickard Persson (guitar), Marcus Jokela Nyström (guitar), Marcus Strindlund (bass) and Jacob Hedner (drums) collaborate with Willowtip Records. Welcome to Wormtales.
The album opens with Birthless, on which the band immediately demonstrate their strength and technicality with heavy dissonant riffs rooted in oppressive Death Metal. Complex leads add a touch of levity before Within Throat, Within Heart takes over with a wilder approach, letting the seething rhythmic beat bludgeon us continuously at full speed until Neglectikon unveils its weighing heaviness. Screams and growls give this composition its uncontrollable aggression, followed by the rhythm section, but it’s channeled back into the solo before moving on to Yearnings of A Rotten Spine, where the vocalist unleashes his full force in piercing tones, in contrast to Worm Charmer, which emphasizes growl and heaviness with Old School patterns, but also elements borrowed from Progressive Death, especially on leads. An effect is added to the arrival of the devastating Harbinger of Woundism, where the band offer a catchy groove to complete their unstoppable rage, which is also found on Paradoxical Impulse, which mixes influences to create a true chaos that the musicians manage to make coherent while remaining so opaque. The final touches of pig squeal carry us through to Wound of Wisdom, where blast and explosive drums energize riffs, giving them that raw but crafted edge before the final slower leads, but Cosmoclaustrum gives the quintet’s sound a further boost. The climax of the track is again found towards its final moments before it slows down, giving way to Solace in Soil, which offers a mysterious ritualistic introduction before releasing all its power thanks to thoughtful turns that bring each instrument to the fore at just the right moment.
Wormtales allows Carnosus to continue their ascent in the Death Metal scene thanks to their complex, well-crafted compositions. The musicians are extremely gifted, and they’re sure to let us know it!
85/100