Vølus
– Thrown to the Abyss
USA
Vargheist
Records
Vølus’ second album “Thrown to the Abyss” is a respectable take on blackened death metal that fans of this style will enjoy. The atmosphere is so dreadfully dense, it's like some noxious aura covering you, as if some otherworldly force is feeding you subliminal messages through the music. Deep and vicious growls are belched atop a mountain of face-melting riffs, coupled with dynamic drumming and a production that can only be described as murky – and although the music often descends into chaos, the songs manage to maintain a sense of cohesion. The music eludes descriptors like ‘cavernous’ given the album’s fairly clear production, which is complementary to their style. There's some cool ideas here, especially those discordant riffs, which can sometimes rival the best of them in terms of intensity. Those into bands like Portal, Eskhaton and Morbid Angel should definitely give this band a listen. Stand-out tracks: “Traverse the Arkhanspire” “Black Flame Purification” “Temporal Pathways”