Odetosun - Gods Forgotten Orbit

Written by Justin C.

Artwork by Thomas Hoechstaedter

Odetosun is a proggy death metal outfit from Germany. You'll see that some of the Bandcamp comments name check bands like Insomnium and Be'Lakor, and although that's not too far off the mark, I'd be reluctant to lump Odetosun under melodic death metal. They have a strong melodic sensibility, but they're bringing some other sounds to the table beyond what you'll hear in standard melodic death metal, including some psychedelic atmosphere and a strong Pink Floyd influence in some of the guitar work. It's definitely a unique mix.

On their full-length, Gods Forgotten Orbit, Odetosun largely eschew low, chunky riffs in favor of a more twisting, melodic guitar style, and they're very good at it. They range from the open, ringing lines in "Eclipse Chaser" to the simpler, doomy riff that brackets the beginning and end of "The Swarming Infinity." Regardless of style, they're always propulsive, and they're fantastically backed by hard-driving bass lines, like in the instrumental track "Journey to Gilese." Sometimes they're as much percussion as they are bass, and it works really well. The death metal growls also have a perfect amount of grit and grime for my taste, while still being clear enough to be able to make out a decent portion of the lyrics, which is always a tricky balancing act.

If there's one weakness of the album, it comes near the end when the band slightly overindulges with the guitar solos. As I already mentioned, "The Swarming Infinity" has a killer riff, but nearly half of its eight-minute run time are given over to a backing rhythm track with Floyd-ian guitar soloing. It's pretty well done, but the momentum of the song suffers. The closing track, "Gods Forgotten Orbit," has a similar problem, and it's made slightly worse by the song ending with over a minute of ambient noise. Metal, and music in general, does not have to be high intensity all the time to be compelling. For example, the second track of the album, "Veil of Leviathan," shows a fantastic sense of push and pull, tension and release, which kept me engaged for its full nine minutes, but the last two tracks rarely held my interest for their full length.

That aside, there's a lot to love on this album and I'm definitely looking forward to hearing where they go next. If you're a bigger fan of extended, psychedelic guitar jams than I am, this might come close to nirvana for you.

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Darkspace - Dark Space III I & Mare Cognitum - Phobos Monolith

Written by Kaptain Carbon // Space Pilot from the Year 5000.


This is how the universe collapses. Darkspace's legacy is rooted in their interesting exploration of ambient black metal, as well as one of their guitarist’s work in the seminal side project Paysage D’ Hiver. It also helps that the band has an air of mystery, with their releases becoming increasingly more sparse. Darkspace’s previous record Dark Space III was released in 2008, and for the past four odd years fans have been awaiting the arrival of whatever the fourth installment would be called. In thematic fashion, the band’s announcement of their new record came in cryptic transmissions, with the full album being released almost immediately. I think I would have been happy with anything, but this is something else entirely.

Darkspace makes music that are pieces to a whole. Since their first release Dark Space I, and even their 2002 demo Dark Space -I, the band has released sequentially numbered tracks that vary in length but seem to be a part of the same cold universe. To add to this, the band seldom releases lyrics, save for dialogue and quotes from literature, philosophy, and film texts. The band’s dedication to the exploration of the coldest recesses of space is extraordinary, as sometimes the most horrifying things can dwell in the limitless expanses of darkness. Darkspace has kept this mystique strong for more than ten years and the fact that their records keep getting more and more interesting gives me hope for a century of darkness over this galaxy.

Throughout their timeline, the Darkspace albums have become more and more dynamic with their production. Dark Space III cemented the full range this band was capable of with heavy guitar tones and a dynamic range of atmosphere. Rather than the high end swirls that marked their first two albums, Dark Space III was lower and deeper in a contrast that makes the whole experience immersive. For this reason, Dark Space III I steps into its place as one of the most effective records of the band’s career, with a heavier drum machine and even more panoramic horror. Split into three tracks ranging from 18 to 27 minutes, the landscapes in “4.18,” “4.19” and “4.20” are something fitting of deep cosmic terror — one that could only be achieved by a band who is probably not of this earth.

If this review sounds like it was written by a fan, it is because Darkspace has achieved a non traditional thematic scope that is backed by outstanding releases. The presentation of this record, combined with their stellar past releases, make it an event that is either on a trajectory into deep space or something coming back from its depths. Given that the records are getting increasingly clearer in their sound, I imagine Dark Space X to be even more horrifying when it is released in 3022.

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Cover art by Luciana Nedelea

Part of me finds the cover for Mare Cognitum’s third full length odd, while the other half is convincing the former that it is all part of a new realm of black metal. Mare Cognitum is a one man black metal outfit who seems to be completely obsessed with the darkness that dwells in space. I have been familiar and friendly with Mare Cognitum since his 2011 debut The Sea Which Has Become Known. It has been a few years since then, and I am pleased to realize that his new album, Phobos Monolith, is perhaps the best work from this creator and probably one of the more enjoyable atmospheric black metal records of 2014.

Space is a vast theme with multiple angles. Unlike Darkspace, Mare Cognitum retains some starry eyed wonder for the mysteries held between the darkness. Unlike his previous two records, the cover for Phobos Monolith is bright and iridescent with violets and whites. Additionally, Mare Cognitum's music is starting to embrace multi layered flourishes, such as the guitar cascade on “Weaving the Thread of Transcendence” or the half tempo acoustic accents on “Noumenon.” These changes in the music, along with a continual maturing of his abstract and transcendent lyrics, allows Phobos Monolith to step out as a solid record that can be embraced by crowds outside of atmospheric black metal.

I have made mention before how atmospheric black is flooded with bands that can easily mimic the sound. Phobos Monolith is a special case, as it allows this style of music to fully embrace its thematic focus and makes those style choices interesting. Why not have a record dedicated to the majesty of deep space filled with wandering atmosphere? There has been a lot of atmospheric black metal records in the past decade, but Mare Cognitum will never cease to be interesting or entertaining with his records.

[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]

Kaptain Carbon is the proprietor of Tape Wyrm -- a site site dedicated to cassette releases and underground metal reviews. In his free time, Kaptain Carbon reviews sword and sorcery films for Hollywood Metal, moderates Reddits r/metal, and spends way too much time playing Magic the Gathering.

Doomsday - Doomsday

Written by Natalie Zina Walschots. Originally published here by Exclaim.

Cover art by XNA

Pressing play on Doomsday feels a lot like opening the doors to a blast furnace: a sudden, overwhelming wall of heat hits you and doesn't let up. At barely over 20 minutes, this self-titled, blackened and crusted death metal debut shows mercy only in its brevity. Four of the five band members have served time in Nachtmystium, which translates into the record's blackened, brimstone-reeking guitar tone and relentless pace. The dominant texture of the album, however, is a thick, filthy crust element that makes every song seem to drip rust and corrosion.

Photos © John Mourlas. All rights reserved.

Most of the tracks are defined by a savage, primal violence, embodied best in album closer (and G.G. Allin cover) "I Kill Everything I Fuck," but there is a moment of bleakness in "Empty Vessel" that's not a respite as much as a shift of perspective, the one time the record moves from vicious agency to furious reflection. This is a baleful, rancid debut that arrives like a whirlwind and leaves the listener similarly wondering what just happened to them.

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