Deus Sabaoth is already releasing its second album.
Just over a year after their debut, Alyona Neith (all instruments), Ercld (programmed drums, Atra Mors Kvlt, No Hope in Heaven, Paganland…), and N-Exul (vocals) are back with their second album, Distortion of Lies, in collaboration with Paragon Records.
Worship immediately plunges us into this dark and melancholic universe before the first screams come to haunt the already heavy atmosphere, reinforcing the latent aggression at work in the riffs. The acceleration driven by the drums effortlessly builds the track’s unifying quality, while the leads weave in a touch of nostalgia that captivates us until the title track, Distortion of Lies, soothes the spirits with a particularly gentle piano intro. The distortion, of course, doesn’t take long to return to the forefront, offering a hypnotic sound between two waves of more virulent violence, which are themselves broken by an ethereal break before giving way to Last Gleam, the next track. While the introduction is once again quite gentle, it is far more painful, tinged with a palpable sorrow that barely fades as the riffs ignite, creating a striking contrast that shifts with Imperishable Script, a track where you can feel that the rhythm section is just waiting to explode, becoming massive and martial, as it does so effectively. The sound effortlessly sweeps our minds away in its surge all the way to Tree of Knowledge, where the riffs are also quite massive, but the approach is different, naturally displaying a sort of constant languor, though aggressive at times; then, with Doom-tinged accents, For There Will Be Dawn takes its place, imposing its haunting and oppressive slowness. The trio eventually picks up the pace while retaining its intoxicating atmosphere, but ultimately moves fairly quickly into Wooden Box, which at times revisits that apathy while combining it with rougher, more energetic bursts to create a surprising yet once again quite natural flow, building the intensity until it becomes almost plaintive, then the sound explodes one last time and retreats into silence.
Although I didn’t listen to their debut album when it came out, I can tell from Distortion of Lies that Deus Sabaoth knows exactly where they’re going with every composition! Their Melodic Black Metal effortlessly adopts melancholic and incisive tones to draw us into their world, and it’s a true success.
90/100