Dephosphorus - Night Sky Transform

Written by Atanamar Sunyata.

Artwork by Viral Graphics

Dephosphorus’ debut album, Axiom, was a game changer. That transdimensional contraption is driven by ominous divinations, deranged sprints, and grinding grooves, its gears lubricated with a spectral sheen of black metal might. Axiom is, to put it lightly, sublime.

Night Sky Transform, released in August, reveals a band in rapid mutation. The grooves swing a bit wider, and the break-neck grind-vibe is often subsumed by sludgier sentiments. The bursts of wanton speed persist, but their movements are more controlled. Axiom’s sinister black aura is boiled down and poured over the proceedings in the form of mucilaginous arpeggiation. The cadence here is more varied, with wicked riffs rolling and rocking at various neck-wrecking velocities.

The album’s most striking moments manifest in the form of anomalous dirges. Several tracks feature clean vocals, chanted or semi-sung, drawing a sharp contrast to the throat-ripping diatribes Dephosphorus have thus far conveyed. “The Fermi Paradox” trudges in a hypnotic orbit while “Unconscious Excursion” emotes the livid mania of a Cobalt creation (with help from Ryan Lipynsky). The album’s lyrics detail apocalyptic astral conjurations, cosmos conquering crusades and visions of extraterrestrial bloodshed. These tales are all thankfully included in the bandcamp download; they’re an essential part of the listening experience.

While I might prefer Axiom’s precipitous sonic vision, Night Sky Transform is no less revelatory. Dephosphorus have built another bona fide beaut, shaping space and time into unfathomable and irresistible forms. Night Sky Transform is a harbinger. All Hail Aurora.

[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]