Goholor took ten years to make a comeback.
Hailing from Slovakia, the band released their only EP in 2016, but Anton (vocals), Demo (guitar/vocals, Dimonsium Chaotic), Erik (bass), and Pio (drums, Dimonsium Chaotic) have signed with Personal Records this year for Locus Damnatorum, their debut album.
Demonical Redemption hits hard with a devastating rhythm section from the very first second, and the addition of bestial roars only reinforces the violence of the onslaught, which also draws on a dark and melodious touch. The two vocalists skillfully call and respond to each other, but the rhythm section doesn’t hesitate to open up with a few more accessible passages before picking up the pace again, as in the final lead section leading into Black Rising Suffering and its more majestic accents, while remaining rooted in violence. The harmonics help amplify the rage of the blast, creating an interesting contrast that is also found in the intense screams before seamlessly transitioning into Divine Blood Invocation, which takes a similar approach while emphasizing the touches of madness to create explosive and unpredictable riffs without detracting from the raw fury. The track also features heavier moments without necessarily slowing down its pace, while Last Groan Devoured by Death offers us a moment of respite with its gentle introduction, quickly shattered by the return of thick distortion that fuels a slowness making the mix feel massive, before slightly accelerating to bring back waves of savagery. The alternation of vocal parts is also perfectly handled, offering constant tension until Ominous Delusion takes over, weaving its own darkness at a brisk pace, laced with those shrill harmonics that give it an addictive, hellish edge. The cycle continues until an unexpected slowdown, but the solo finishes the job before leaving us in the hands of Embraced by Demons Spell, the next track that grants us a moment of suspension only to better surprise us with its devastating blaze, and despite the few pauses, the track is incredibly effective! Just when we thought the onslaught was over, Nihilistic Torments comes to knock us out with the same concept of an avalanche of dark violence, thus closing the album in an even more brutal manner than it began.
The hiatus has been good for Goholor, and although the band had almost been forgotten by the scene, their return is explosive! Locus Damnatorum easily rivals the Black/Death Metal heavyweights, such are the ferocity of its riffs!
90/100
