Heresiarch - Edifice
New Zealand
Iron Bonehead Productions
The
second album by New Zealand’s Heresiarch titled “Edifice” is a continuation of
their relentless and uncompromising black/death Metal that they’ve been belching
out since their inception in 2008.
Seven years is quite a lengthy gap between two albums, which begs the question: Was it worth the wait? 100%. The latest album is an all-out barrage of apocalyptic destruction, consisting of ten tracks of caustic black/death/war metal cut from the same cloth as compatriots Vesicant, Diocletian and Witchrist, but also featuring trace elements of bands like Conqueror and Angelcorpse.
From the music to the themes to the art, Heresiarch casts a dark shadow over the listener, offering no respite from its fierce and unbridled sonic malevolence that makes the earth tremble and the sky turn black. The emphatically aggressive vocals that lead the charge are utterly scornful and vicious, adding a crucial facet to their style that is part of the reason why the band sounds so unhinged. I’ve always said you need a good vocalist if you want to pull off this style properly, and Heresiarch fully understands that.
The rapid execution of instruments and skull-drilling drums put the listener in a state of shell-shock, while the music blasts over you in blitzkrieg fashion with uninterrupted hostility and maximum violence. “Forged Doctrine” inaugurates the madness and wastes no time laying down the law with a maelstrom of chaos and savage rhythms, while the following (and shorter) “Manifest Odium” has an Incantation-esque twang before “Noose Upon The Abyss” completely blusters you into submission with its resolute discharge of mayhem and blunt-force heaviness.
Not only is “Edifice” profoundly heavy but it is also flawlessly performed, which is complemented by a production that I might add is perfect for this kind of black/death style; it has a natural tone to it, but also enhances the performance as a whole and gives it an audible quality. As for the artwork, I’m not going to lie, I absolutely adore the cover art. It has a kind of totalitarian post-apocalyptic setting and merges well with the music.
Seven years is quite a lengthy gap between two albums, which begs the question: Was it worth the wait? 100%. The latest album is an all-out barrage of apocalyptic destruction, consisting of ten tracks of caustic black/death/war metal cut from the same cloth as compatriots Vesicant, Diocletian and Witchrist, but also featuring trace elements of bands like Conqueror and Angelcorpse.
From the music to the themes to the art, Heresiarch casts a dark shadow over the listener, offering no respite from its fierce and unbridled sonic malevolence that makes the earth tremble and the sky turn black. The emphatically aggressive vocals that lead the charge are utterly scornful and vicious, adding a crucial facet to their style that is part of the reason why the band sounds so unhinged. I’ve always said you need a good vocalist if you want to pull off this style properly, and Heresiarch fully understands that.
The rapid execution of instruments and skull-drilling drums put the listener in a state of shell-shock, while the music blasts over you in blitzkrieg fashion with uninterrupted hostility and maximum violence. “Forged Doctrine” inaugurates the madness and wastes no time laying down the law with a maelstrom of chaos and savage rhythms, while the following (and shorter) “Manifest Odium” has an Incantation-esque twang before “Noose Upon The Abyss” completely blusters you into submission with its resolute discharge of mayhem and blunt-force heaviness.
Not only is “Edifice” profoundly heavy but it is also flawlessly performed, which is complemented by a production that I might add is perfect for this kind of black/death style; it has a natural tone to it, but also enhances the performance as a whole and gives it an audible quality. As for the artwork, I’m not going to lie, I absolutely adore the cover art. It has a kind of totalitarian post-apocalyptic setting and merges well with the music.
Tempo-wise, the album ranges from pounding mid-tempo rhythms to faster sections, but also slows down at appropriate moments, showing their penchant for doomier nuances. "Edifice" is not only a profoundly punishing album, but it is also decidedly dynamic, so there’s no doubt in my mind that the seven years since the last album have been absolutely worth the wait as this is easily the best release they’ve put out until date.