Besotten is alive and well.
After releasing a demo and an EP, the American band formed by Garth Purkett (bass/vocals), Patrick Sinn-Movilla (guitar/keyboards), and Andy Osborn (drums) has signed with Transcending Obscurity Records and is unveiling its debut album, Eye of the Monolithicrypt.
The sense of dread sets in right from Mist of Decay, an unsettling opening track that explodes suddenly, delivering a thick, viscous blend of Death and Doom Metal filled with dark harmonics, cavernous roars, and above all an abrasive distortion that tramples over us and shifts pace at will. We also note some softer keyboards in the background and an imposing bass line, as well as a few well-placed accelerations, then Bathed in Insufferable Light takes over and imposes its violent oppression upon us. This apocalyptic mix does, however, let a few intoxicating leads slip through to give us a chance to breathe, all while keeping us trapped in their sonic hell, a hell that eventually slows down yet remains suffocating, even unhealthy, when the morbid growls take over, while the final offers us a brief moment of gentleness before we return to Cruentation. The track marks the return of brutal, merciless aggression while maintaining a groove that’s at times a bit drier; then Storming the Cerebral Citadel follows suit, unleashing a veritable tidal wave of blast beats over which heavy, dark riffs settle, along with the screams that continue to pound us until the song ends. The album’s conclusion is marked by Bloodcairn, a long track that begins with mysterious and mystical touches but soon takes off in its own right, offering a deluge of cadaverous rage, as well as intricate lead guitar work and much slower, suffocating passages that still deliver a few jolts before a much gentler and redeeming finale.
There’s no doubt about it: for Besotten, death and putrefaction are what drive their riffs! Eye of the Monolithicrypt features everything that’s heaviest and most macabre, alternating between destruction and slowness to turn their Death/Doom into a massive block of oppression.
80/100