Crucivore emerges.
Formed by Ricardo Proença (vocals, ex-Analepsy, ex-Vermicular Incubation), Ricardo Jorge (guitar), Sérgio Páscoa (guitar, ex-Downfall of Mankind), Caesar Craveiro (bass), and Tomás Carvalho (drums, ATA) in Portugal, the band immediately signed with Testimony Records and released its debut album, Desecration.
The Crucivore’s Feast sets the tone with some percussion and unsettling sounds, then a voice clearly signals that the Crucivore is coming – which happens right from the opening notes of Memento Mori, where the vocalist roars while his bandmates provide a devastating rhythm section backed by a fairly modern production. There’s an apocalyptic atmosphere that complements the raw, unbridled violence, and then The Banished Torment offers us a brief moment of respite before igniting, not without a certain melancholy, which drives the rhythm section to a veritable eruption of rage. Unsurprisingly, the vocalist joins in and amplifies the mix, which hammers us relentlessly; then comes the short track Condemned, which largely adopts the same approach as its predecessor, sparing no sub-bass or screams to make its point, before handing the baton over to Whispers from Eternal Sickness. Rage and violence blend at a breakneck pace, alternating between blast beats, devastating riffs, double-kick drumming, and cavernous growls, all while incorporating a touch of Deathcore, especially in the final surge leading into The Oracle, a track that also relies not only on its aggression but also on a heavy, theatrical atmosphere to round it out. Also worth noting here is the touch of slamming deathcore that contrasts with the softer symphonic elements; then the band quickly gives us a breather with the intro sample from Triumph of the Grotesque Disorder, which bears down on us at a brisk pace, making full use of staccato patterns to create a sense of frenzy between waves of pure violence. Reminisce Devotion reveals a bit more of the band’s lore through a thirty-second sample before letting The Matriarch trample us at a brisk pace, slowing down only to become even more imposing thanks to samples and mosh parts – just like Devourer of Existence, which also wastes no time in roaring and unleashing all its violence without any restraint. The same goes for Depths of Despair, which takes over, it’s nothing but rage and devastation for the five musicians, who show us no mercy, stringing together the most ferocious passages before leading into Terminus, which (as its name suggests) will be our final stop: a long, oppressive sample that brings us back to our world.
Moving freely between Brutal Death Metal and Deathcore, Crucivore draws on all its influences like a kaiju, turning Desecration into a veritable hurricane. Savor the few moments of respite, because for these musicians, violence reigns supreme.
85/100
