Black and Death melt with Shrine of Denial.
Following in the footsteps of the genre’s great names, the Turkish band formed by Eray Nabi (vocals), Onur Uslu (guitar), Denizkaan Araci (guitar), Ahmet Ünveren (bass) and Berk Köktürk (drums) unveil their debut album, I, Moloch, via Transcending Obscurity Records.
The atmosphere becomes very heavy right from the first track, Climbing Through Nothingness, which immediately sets the tone with oppressive dissonance, then explosive fury, both in the massive vocals and the frantic instrumental. The sound has that Old School aggressive touch that makes the leads melodic yet wild, just as on A Sanctuary In The Depths Of The Realms which attacks at full power, then temporizes with a much more oppressive passage before letting the musicians unleash themselves again. We continue our plunge into the occult with the impressive eponymous composition I, Moloch which almost allows us to breathe before charging again with all possible ferocity, but also this inspired solo before a final dose of violence that leads to Pillars Of Ice. The atmosphere becomes ironically colder, reminiscent of the style’s Nordic roots, while respecting a few more jerky moments before letting The Mesmer get on with the brutality, as evidenced by the almost permanent double pedal and the devastating blast. The track pauses a little before the end for a soothing sample, but Oneiros are quick to follow up with an ominous introduction, which they eventually infuse with the usual violence while retaining that sense of anguish, before abandoning it for Headless Idol. The track then focuses mainly on aggression, but the heavy atmosphere returns in the solo before Temple of the Corpse Misuser, the final composition, takes its turn to ruthlessly molest us, using thick riffs and relatively catchy patterns that roll over us until the final moments.
Shrine of Denial‘s influences are obvious, but they enable them to make I, Moloch a rock-solid album that will break necks! If a live show is in the offing, I’m definitely in!
90/100