Interitus

Although hailing from Brazil the style offered by Escarnium reminds me more of a nice mixture of the US and the European Old School Death Metal sound. There are more similarities with bands like Immolation, Bloodbath or Vomitory than with their South American compatriots. The instrumentation is top notch but Escarnium put a lot more emphasis on building a creepy atmosphere than showing their technical skills.

While I have not been familiar with this band so far they have been making music for a whole decade. After a number of EPs, splits and compilations this is their second full-length album following “Excruciating Existence” from 2012. Testimony Recods once again had a good nose adding another quite unknown but absolutely talented band to their roster.

This band combines bruising grooves, down-tuned thrashy riffs and slow but heavy sections ramping up the intensity of the whole affair. Although we are talking about OSDM some of the sections are technically quite sophisticated but thankfully things are never overdone. Before passive listeners like myself can get overwhelmed Escarnium find their way back to the steamrolling and heavy pounding main groove of the respective song. While a few outbursts of instrumental firework might be interesting the most important thing is coherent songwriting and this is what makes bands like Escarnium so great.

The guitar work is switching between stoic and brooding parts and faster and more aggressive sections. There is a certain melodic factor in the music but not so much at the surface but subtly woven into the overall sound. There are a lot of slower pieces where the slightly melancholic guitar sound helps creating an eerie and depressing atmosphere. This is dark and moody music and while I am not talking about anything like Ambient Death Metal “Interitus” might not be the best fit for anyone looking for some catchy and fun DM. However, some of the harmonies and refrains are outstanding and will stick with the listener after having heard them a few times.

It will take a few listens to really appreciate everything what is on offer here. Only during consecutive spins you are going to find details like themes that are repeated or short melodic sections serving as bridge parts. One thing I also really like about this release is the overall placement of the tracks. The songs perfectly flow one into another leading to a very stringent listening experience with the highlights sprinkled over the whole playing time. Intense and slightly chaotic sounding sections with blast-beat drumming alternate with straight rocking and grooving parts.

The vocals are very brutal and deep ramping up the overall intensity of the music another notch. The production is a bit cleaner than on most OSDM records but gives every instrument enough room to breathe without being compressed or too loud. There is still enough rawness left in the mix so that the music does not sound too sterile. Accompanied by stunning cover artwork this record is an absolute beast and should find its way into the collection of any OSDM fan.