Chestcrush
- Vdelygmia
Scotland
Independent
A
while ago I reviewed the UK-based (originally from Greece) band
Chestcrush’s killer 4-track demo, and now it’s time to review
their debut full-length called “Vdelygmia” which will be out 14th
July.
Musically,
the sound on this album can be described as an amalgamation of
blackened death, sludge and grindcore. The whole thing is pretty
ferocious and seems to hit on themes pertaining to mental health and
the current political/theocratical situation in Greece. In
comparison to their demo, Chestcrush seems to have taken it up a
notch with a greater level of technicality and heaviness, with an
outcome that is more extreme than the previous
release. Tempos are all over the place, ranging from crushing
mid-paced parts to fast and relentless blasting. One of the band’s
strengths is that you can hear all the instruments, and when
combined, you realise just how absolutely crushing it all sounds. The
atmosphere is totally nightmarish and feels like one hellish fever
dream. The vocals are totally overpowering, mixing mid-range, savage
bellows with black metal shrieks. The production works perfectly for
the assemblage of genres on display here. The
title “Vdelygmia” is a Greek word (originally
spelled “Βδελυγμία“)
which means “abomination.” it’s
a very fitting title in the context of how foreboding and dark the
overall atmosphere is on this album. There’s a strong black metal
current running in these lads’ veins.
Chestcrush’s
brand of sludgy, dark, and dissonant blackened death will leave the
listener battered and wanting more. For fans of: Ulcerate, Dragged
Into Sunlight, Morbid Angel, etc. (HT)