Ceremonial Equinox

The debut album from Tennessee brutal death metallers Engulfed in Blackness, “Ceremonial Equinox,” offers so many worthwhile attributes it’s impossible to tell this actually is the debut considering the quality on display.

There’s a lot to like here in this album, which is all the more surprising for a debut. The prominent guitar-work on display is incredibly dynamic and advanced, as this features the type of riffing arrangements presented in the old-school death metal scene that were based on utilizing thrash patterns as the main influence here. There’s an energetic sense of how they’re arranged here which provides plenty of speed as to how this one careens through their paces, and with how this one rages along in these paces provides plenty of opportunities to engage in technically-complex riffs-work. It’s accomplished through rather dynamic patterns and arrangements spiced up throughout the song to where it places these complex thrashing sections throughout various rhythms yet none of the sections repeat the same patterns as it varies these arrangements quite well. By offering several different rhythms along the tracks when it goes into the higher tempos in here, this offers up the kind of dynamic mood variations which allow the kind of feel associated with the old-school by successfully replicating that riffing style.

Taking that old-school feel of incorporating dark, extreme thrash paces by featuring highly technical arrangements at those speeds while they’re mixed nicely with deep, sprawling paces that slow the tempos and paces considerably creates an even more overt old-school feel throughout this. Slowing the pace down to those churning, slow-broiled riffs creates a dark atmosphere that’s utterly addictive when merged with the technically-explosive up-tempo numbers featured, and the ability to focus on both is a devastating one that’s handled incredibly well here. Moreover, the tight patterns from the thrashing paces drives along the brutality factor as well as there’s an exceptionally powerful drum-attack here which provides some stellar backbone to this. Constantly forced to play along to the faster tempos, that allows the drum machine into full-on blast mode for the majority here which is a loud, deep thump capable of issuing double-bass fills while also filling in admirably with important pounds during the slower, sprawling sections. Overall, this makes for a truly blistering, brutal form of old-school death metal.

As the music here is so good, the album is highly enjoyable with provides plenty within this. More so than any other factor in the music is the fact that this one manages to include those different moods and tempos in the music quite organically, being incredibly competent at what it does. That a band this early in their career can accomplish this task is quite impressive for it not only showcases their skill-set but also helps produce a fuller, darker atmosphere in here. With the chosen tone for the guitars, the faster rhythms here stick out even more as the slow, sprawling riffs are given a deep, heavy churning feel that captures a darker, evil world incredibly well, almost too well for a debut even. There’s an explosive atmosphere coming from the riffs as the sickening, sprawling tempos simply ooze forth that evil, ominous tone here which is one the whole quite impressive to accomplish.

The only issue that this material can tend to bring out is the fact that the rhythms and arrangements can blend together. There’s a tendency to run the hard-charging rhythms in the faster, razor-wire riffing sections into rather familiar tones and paces with each other since they all run at similar tempos. When it plays at these sections, it really tends to play with the same riffing for these and doesn’t really expand itself into a variety of different riffing arrangements and patterns to really spice things up here. It usually comprises of raging razor-wire patterns filled with rows of technical patterns that are used in much the same pace and pattern during those sections on each song rather that really varying the riff-work for this. This leaves a lot of variety here to come more on the fact that this switches up the tempos here between fast, technically-complex thrashing brutality and those slow, sprawling dirges, and how they’re arranged together in regards to the variety within the songs as some favor one over the other in the arrangements. However much fun and technically proficient that is, the riffs do tend to blend together here which does provide some problems here if the diversity can’t be fixed, as that can get quite fun if introduced into this sound.

The songs here are quite good with a lot to like. After getting past the ‘Intro,’ as churning noise and hellish effects steadily grows in tempo and ominous feel, proper first track ‘Tortured Mentality’ shows off raging riff-work along churning grooves, pounding drumming and tight, swirling razor-wire technicality-laced riffs of the band at their best, being an album highlight. The short, brutal thrasher ‘Illusions of Anguished Awakening’ uses immediate blasting drumming and tight, technical riff-work raging through vicious, razor-wire riff-patterns as the blistering tempos carry on throughout here, being another standout effort. Working the slower tempos, ‘Condemned to Existence’ blasts through the rattling drumming and intense technical riff-patterns as the sprawling tempos and thumping patterns in the first half brings back surging razor-wire patterns in the final half, bringing about the best of these lower tracks. As well, ‘Vomit the Impulse’ follows pretty similar routes with furious razor-wire thrashing patterns and tight blasting before bringing those sprawling epics interchanging into the thrashing sections for a wholly enjoyable effort. ‘Spawn of the Sacrilege’ offers plenty of blasting drums with furious, technical riffing and heavy chugging that weaves a few sprawling crawls before going back for the intense rhythms and unrelenting double-bass work in the final half for an overall impressive effort. The furious ‘Enthrallment’ brings those razor-wire riffs through tight, intense patterns thrashing away into technical leads with insane riff-pattern changes into a thrashing final half, leaving another fantastic highlight. Broken up slightly, the title track uses blasting drumming and charging mid-tempo riffs utilize the sprawling crawl with intermittent blasts of ragging thrash and thumping technicality which makes for an enjoyable if slightly downbeat offering due to the great tracks around it. Finally, ‘Echoes in the Chasm’ sends it all back where it started as the relentless blasting, tight swarming riffs and dense, heavy sprawling paces with the slight melodic undertone make for a fantastic ending to this.

For all the fun and enjoyment on the album, there’s not a whole lot really wrong to downplay it so it ends up being far more impressive as this hopefully starts off an impressive career for the group. Fans of any scene or movement regarding old-school death metal will plenty of enjoyment out of this one while those also looking for some hints of brutality in their stew will be pleased by this as well.