Padre de todos los abismos

Third record from this awesome Argentinian band; the former band of guitarist/singer Ventriz Grimorium,Grima Morstua, also had 3 great records in a row before splitting up, so let us hope Genuflexion continues soldiering on after this excellent release.

This CD has yet again beautifully grim, and this time quite abstract artwork, courtesy of a couple of local artists; the band uses different concepts and artists for their every release. The illustrations are mainly sepia and red over a pitch-black background this time around. The booklet, unlike that of their previous CD, features the lyrics, which are somewhat shorter and to the point for some songs, without losing any appeal, and deal as it is usual with atheism, harshly but elliptically criticizing idol worshipping
and religious beliefs.

When I gave their previous effort a solid 100%, I predicted that that album would be a bitch to match, and I was right. While not completely living up to that masterpiece, the album is almost as good in substance, and equally entertaining; time did fly by during the listening session. Not two records from either Grima or Genuflexion have been alike, and this one is no exception. Except for the mostly mid-tempo that prevails during the whole of the recording, the similarities are far and in-between, keeping things highly interesting.

The album opens with a searing guitar riff isolated on the right channel, a second guitar follows up on the left, then all hell breaks loose for the duration of the album. The throat-shredding vocals are somewhat distant and drenched in reverb, with a sense of despair and an urgency that is eerie, reminding somewhat of Höest during the first five songs, and of Garm during the last two.

The drums sound really organic, yet the snare and cymbals are somewhat buried in the mix, with exceptions. The guitar tone has
a meaty midrange, with plenty of treble to cut through the mix, being, luckily, the loudest thing in it. Cymbal work is very creative, and the slightly Gregorian-like chanting that is used in the guise of backing choruses is really striking. Fear not; there is no resemblance of Bathushka whatsoever.

The second song has more dynamics and the monk-like back singers recite a spoken-word piece. Fantastic yet not abundant keyboards enter the picture. Neither the keyboards or the melodic choruses contribute to softening the fierce compositions. From the third track on, we are treated to middle-eastern influenced guitar riffing on the lead axe, and on the mid-section of the fourth song there is a kick-ass guitar riff that made me headbang as a teenager, and more fantastic keyboards.

By this point I have lost my faith in hearing the bass guitar, which is either lost in the mix, or playing very trebly lines, almost as a third guitar. At times I thought I heard it, but it may well have been a third guitar or some keyboard line; at a loss there. Yet, the damn thing does my head in like a sledgehammer. The fifth song is more visceral in that both guitars play rhythm, sounding heavier and more homogeneously, ditching the interplay between them in favor of a more visceral assault, over yet again more choruses and synth lines. Track six has an audible snare riding over a synth line part that is to die for.

The album closes with an epic overall tone in which the choruses build up dramatically; heavy, yet hypnotic, almost trance-inducing, and resorting to a bit of repetition; almost a welcome variation after 6 songs that are not repetitive at all, which is almost the trademark of a remarkably creative and original band. Not that I equal repetiton with lack of creativity, mind you; it is just a tool that has been used ad nauseam in BM.

The production is again fantastic and very consistent, in a gritty hi-fi fashion. If you liked their second album, you will need this one, period.