2024 Dark Descent Records (CD / LP / Cassette)
www.darkdescentrecords.com
BADASS SONG TITLES: Pale Black Birds, Sweeping Storm of Suicide, Choking Salvation
From the mighty Dark Descent Records comes the newest effort from Strychnos, who are quality purveyors of blackened death metal. They lean towards the epic, with bombastic sometimes doomed out compositions that nevertheless are aggressive, violent, and entertaining. Strychnos doesn't use much in the way of speed to get their extremity across - there are fast parts in most songs, but the focus is on the haunting melodies and crushing aggressive grooves that beg to snap your neck. The melodies are at once sinister and Satanic, angry and powerful.
The vocals are pure hellfire and brimstone, erupting forth with power and style, mostly mid-range and somewhat similar (in a very, very good way) to some of Necrophobic's work. It takes a talented band to keep my interest with slower death metal, and Strychnos does it well. All the songs are catchy, some to nearly earworm levels. Each song is different, distinct, and well-crafted. There is some clean singing on offer here, but not in a typical style. It reminds me a bit of the clean passages from Emperor or Hypocrisy. The lines are sung in a clear, strong, utterly manly style with morose melody and evil intent. The production is clean and organic, and each instrument shines, capturing a very live feel.
It struck me upon first listen to this how different it was. This is a unique band that's cobbled their influences together in such a way as to sound quite original, and they don't lean on too many death and black metal tropes to do their jobs. This is a special album, and it should find a place on every death metalist's shelf.
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