Qrixkuor - Poison Palinopsia (2021)

•  †  •

Qrixkuor have had what some might call a tumultuous upbringing, with a forced hiatus in activity  spurred on by multiple changes in cast and location, a debut album has been long on the horizon of the abyssal plane… but that debut album, Poison Palinopsia, is finally upon the altar. For us to play judge and juror. Appreciator and benefactor.

In lieu of being too verbose, Qrixkuor's changes have seemed to irrefutably benefit the overarching sound and direction of the band, and with the addition of New Zealand's revered V. Kusabs (of Vassafor, Irkallian Oracle, Temple Nightshade, etc.) at the helm of song-writing you would sure as shit have to bet on the sonic scope of Poison Palinopsia to be a downward spiralling mix of cavernous death metal and black metal with tinges of doom and other various forms of entropy.

•  Ω  •

This is some seriously heavy shit. A 50-minute, two track plunge into a hallucinatory ether of mangling guitar chords, bestial drums that punish every inch of cymbal and skin with a sadistic, schizophrenic like fervour, and a vocal delivery by S that has its own personality crisis, matching the same intensity and barbarity as Teitanblood or Swallowed. Since there are only two monolithic tracks, each song has ample room to explore atmospherics and space, in way of tempo shifts or fugacious ambient passages (none of which are sampled but individually conjured and recorded) that explore sepulchral like tones.

The production isn't as overall murky as others of this ilk, but suffice it to say it completely evades that plastic like shit with no dynamic range and maintains an overall sound that is both utterly bestial, yet coherent. It's a welcomed and perfectly delivered execution. With no shortage of letdowns, missteps, nice tries and copycats, Poison Palinopsia delivers a breath of fresh air in a genre that has seen a recent resurgence! Fans of Mitochondrion, Teitanblood, Bestia Arcana, Grave Upheaval, Spirit Possession, etc. will find much to appreciate on here, so get towards the bands bandcamp page and do your thing.

Qrixkuor - Poison Palinopsia (bandcamp)

Abyssal - Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius (2013)

One would define the word Abyssal as; Unfathomable, or concerning the depths of the ocean floor. Both are appropriate when comparing them to the UK based death/black/doom band Abyssal… A band that will often be compared to the likes of Mitochondrion, Portal, Impetuous Ritual, Antediluvian and even Iceland's underground gem Svartidauði – And for good reason too, everyone of these bands possess similar qualities; A harrowing atmosphere, a whirring dizziness drone accompanied by a a dirge like plod saturated in a begrimed cavernous stench.

This album strongly hearkens back to the days when Mitochondrion released Parasignosis – They both are heavily laden with a distressing and dizzying tone that becomes more enjoyable when it's played at very loud volumes. "Fuck that you sadomasochist!" you will say… And I will simply nod, for I am fully cognizant that I truly enjoy the crushing nature that comes along with music of this ilk. It is almost emotionally draining, sitting through Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius entirety does not come easily for your nervous system, but its musical layers are a fucking joy to explore. It's dense, evocative, wearing and heavier than the ocean floor.

This is one of the stronger releases I have come across in 2013, I'm overwhelmed and captivated by its murk and mire… I bought it right away after hearing the second track. Download links may exist online, but I will not be posting one, it is available on their Bandcamp page for only 3$ as a digital download. This is self-released, and on a personal level I would feel like a malignant dickhole for even trying to scrape up a download link. Do as you will, but I'm only posting up the Bandcamp link… Don't throw me to the lions, thanks.

Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius (Bandcamp)