Rites of Thy Degringolade - An Ode to Sin (2005)

Band: Rites of Thy Degringolade
Album: An Ode to Sin
Year: 2005
Country: Canada
Genre: Black/Death

Why hello there, lovely grim bros. Today I am here to present you with what I consider to be a fanfuckingtastic piece of black/death of the more chaotic variety. A style I've gotten heavily into in recent times, this would be one of my most favorite albums that I've heard of it. If you're not so familiar with the style, think Blasphemy. And if you haven't heard Blasphemy, then what good are you? Anyway, as I said before this shit is pretty damn chaotic but not to the point of where it gets lost on you. Actually, this one seems to be far more structured than previous albums(which especially makes it a great starting point) yet it still has that chaotic edge which makes it such a badass piece of metal. And, it even slows down the tempo in a few parts. Also, there's some pretty sweet leads that crop up a bit which lends some variety too. As per usual with these type of albums, the drumming is pretty high in the mix. And of course those are pretty fucking crazy too, in an extremely pleasing way without leading to tedium. Clocking in at a little under 30 min, I'd say the length is perfect for this kind of metal. So sit back, let this wonderful music fill your ears, and have the time of your life like the trve metalhead that you are.

PS: If you're left craving more cause the short length. Then definitely move backwards to their album Totality (which I shall include as a bonus because I'm nice like that)for a more chaotic and seemingly less structured affair!

An Ode to Sin
Totality

Witchrist - Curses of Annihilation (2009)

Artist: Witchrist

Album: Curses of Annihilation

Genre: Death Metal

Country: New Zealand



Not so much a standard album but a compilation of the first two demos with (one unreleased) from this new band from New Zealand, playing primitive Black/Death Metal. Witchrist share members with Diocletian so one would rightly assume there are some comparisons sound-wise, however Witchrist lean further towards Death Metal and have a slightly more plodding/ritualistic atmosphere than the full-on attack of Diocletian. As is usual with this style of Death Metal, riffs are rather straightforward and focus more on pummelling the listener with huge slabs of heaviness and creating an ominous atmosphere than impressing with technical wank. The drumming follows suit, nice solid beats full of conviction, gotta love a drummer that hits hard. Production is rather bottom-end heavy but not too muddy that details get lost as is often the case with this style. Probably not a release for everyone, but check it out if you like Archgoat, Teitanblood, older Bolt Thrower and early Incantation.

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