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Vesicant is a blackened death metal two piece out of New Zealand. On their ferocious debut, Shadows of Cleansing Iron, they deliver seven knotted dismal cuts full to the brim with suffocating dread. The music is peppered with odd meters all over the place, having the nightmarish effect of having to navigate your way out of a minefield in the dark as you watch your blood drain from your body slowly into the dirt. No one section overstays its welcome, fortunately. The frequent changes in the landscape result in a compelling listen front to back.
At the forefront of Vesicant's detailed songcraft, the drums propel the music forward with deft musicality. Mere time keeping this is not. Commanding martial snare rolls abound in slow parts as well as in the faster sections. Odd accents are thrown in all over the place, all off kilter and sinister. In one moment the percussion is tightly locked up with the iron-sprung grip of a bear trap. In the next moment the drums are loose and unbridled, as though giving chase along a blood-stained crooked trail. Note the different speeds of the blasts within a single riff as the "Uncoiled Desolator" begins to unfurl its ugly self scarcely a minute into the track. This high level of nuance in the drumming compels one to pay closer attention with each listen.
The detuned guitars sound as if the gain is turned up all the way on the amps. It's a scorching noisy sound that cuts. The riffs strike an excellent balance of being both both catchy and unpredictable. Harsh guitars meld with the martial drums in a way that's abysmally oppressive, like you're clawing your way out of a pine box six feet deep til your flesh turns to bone.
Song titles here seem to hint at deeper darker meanings. "Enceladus" could refer to a World War 2 vessel or to a moon of Saturn. "Uncoiled Desolator" could refer to anything from a bandolier to the Prince of Darkness on the eve of the Apocalypse. These kinds of evocations add to the sense of foreboding present throughout Shadows of Cleansing Iron.
Vesicant emerges as one of those rare bands who pack more ideas into one song than most bands manage to fit into an entire record. This may not be obvious at first sit down with this album because if one were to drop the needle at any given point on Shadows of Cleansing Iron, you will hear a very singular heavy sound throughout. Quiet breakdowns are nowhere to be found on this record. It is all one ferocious onslaught. However, upon close inspection, rows upon rows of teeth reveal themselves. It's a sound that's precise, consistent and well-sharpened. Shadows of Cleansing Iron is a ripping debut full-length release from very promising fresh talent.
