The gates of Pedestal for Leviathan’s castle are open.
After a first EP that remained fairly underground in 2024, the band led by Kendrick Lemke (guitar/vocals, Disgustingest), accompanied by Mathew Meyer (guitar), Noah Filthen (bass), and Corbin Echtermeyer (drums), released their first album, Enter: Vampyric Manifestation, the following year on Personal Records and Gurgling Gore.
Chalice Bleeds Intoxicant’s keyboards welcome us and easily hypnotize us before the first riffs strike, immediately weighing the atmosphere, complemented by the vocals, which are imposing at first and then much more aggressive. Death Metal roots are particularly effective in the final break that leads into Summoning Sickness, where Symphonic influences are perfectly exploited to counterbalance the aggression of the massive rhythm section, which unleashes explosions of violence at breakneck speed. A new wave of violence arrives with Lycanthropichrist, which allows us a few moments of anguish at the beginning, then makes a point of playing with its darkness to complement its catchy patterns, notably thanks to unhealthy leads, before letting Sanctity of Retribution give us a moment of respite. Of course, it doesn’t last long and is crushed by a slow and imposing rhythm, then draws on Brutal Death to crush us, reinforcing the anxiety with keyboards before finally passing the baton to Purgatory Displacement, which takes a fairly similar approach and naturally follows up with demonstrations of raw power. Thick riffing and hooting close the song, which naturally transitions into Karmic Recollection Mirror and its dreamlike introduction, followed by patterns that are as jerky as ever but also a little more complex this time, still carried by airy keyboards, before reaching Snow Covered Monolith, which allows us a short epic break of about a minute. Once we’ve caught our breath, Warlock Blacksmith brings a new touch of violence with similar elements that follow each other at a good pace, combining heaviness and speed while the orchestrations grow stronger and stronger for an epic final.
The vinyl and CD versions are expanded with the addition of the three tracks from the Festering Apparition EP, which begins with Siphoning of the Liege, where we find the solemn keyboards before the wave hits at full power, borrowing Slam Death’s groovy patterns before returning to Black roots in the leads. Beast Rune returns to more Old School and frenetic touches to convince, but the keyboard-infused mosh parts are not far behind, and their effectiveness is now well established, making this short track one of the most effective before the angst returns on Nightside Familiar, which alternates easily between majestic moments and waves of violence, as on the contrasting but extremely enjoyable final.
It’s been a long time since a mix like the one practiced by Pedestal for Leviathan has surprised me this much! I am, of course, used to Black and Death Metal and their derivatives, but Enter: Vampyric Manifestation combines Brutal Death and Symphonic Black Metal so naturally that I am won over.
90/100