Pseudogod - Deathwomb Catechesis

Written by Steven Leslie

Cover art by Antichrist Kramer

The past few years have seen an explosion of extreme metal bands emerging out of the frozen wilds of Russia. Formed in 2004, the mighty Pseudogod have established themselves as one of the leading groups in this burgeoning field of death and black metal. After years of building a fanatical cult following, Pseudogod have finally chosen to grace us with their presence on Bandcamp. And it’s about damn time.

Photo by Carmelo Española.

Deathwomb Catechesis is the bands first full length originally released in 2012, and it is an unrelenting beast of an album. While the band falls into the black/death category the truth is this is pure, unbridled death metal. The black metal influence is only really prominent in the lyrical focus, which as you might have guessed, is centered around Satanism and devil worship. Just a cursory glance at the lyrics for the opening song, “Vehement Decimation”, shows you clearly where the bands allegiances lie. And these boys do their master proud.

Photo by Carmelo Española.

Unlike many of the bands in the black/death world, Pseudogod doesn’t rely on murky production to get their sinister message across. Instead, the band utilizes technically precise riffing, searing blasts, and deep hellish bellows to crush every bone in the listener’s body. One of the best things about this album is the superb riff work provided by Spīritō Destitutus and D. Nekros. They manage to create catchy, memorable riffs that loose none of their brutal impact on repeated listens. Even more impressive is their ability to drop from vicious, flesh searing speed into catchy mid pace grooves. This is best exemplified in tracks like “Malignant Spears” and “Encarnacion del Mal”, where they lay off just enough to add some nuance to their otherwise unrelenting maelstrom.

Photo by Carmelo Española.

The drumming is also quite impressive throughout the album. While some might complain about the triggered sound of some of the blasts, it’s clear that Yogsothoth can play with the best of them. Even though blast beats are prominent in every song, each one also incorporates some killer fills and grooves. This is no one trick pony. The biggest sticking point for most will probably be the fairly monotonous bellow of I.S.K.H. Yes, I admit based solely on the vocals it can be hard to tell one track from the next, but repeated listens confirm that any other vocal approach just would not be as effective. It’s I.S.K.H.'s bone-crushing roar that really ties all the killer songwriting and variety in the music together. Anyone who is a fan of bands like Grave Miasma, Dead Congregation or even Portal should do himself a favor and pick this one up immediately.

Recommended track "Malignant Spears".

[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]