Sect of Vile Divinities

Death metal titans Incantation returned with their twelfth full length record back in 2020.

Requiring no introduction, the death metal veterans launch us into a swirling murk of cavernous riffs, punctually hammering drums and gut-rupturing growls. Immediately it is clear that Incantation are back with the full force they have consistently displayed over a lengthy career. With the visceral drum work and utterly ferocious riffing, the instrumental backdrop for the guttural vocal spew is monolithic, conjuring a monstrous storm of morbid, crawling and eerie death metal excellence. Convulsively groovy and packed with ethereally dark energy, the ghostly, doomy sections add a haunting quality to the savage barbarity, giving an otherworldly quality to the music.

Amidst the skull-stomping grooves and rib-cracking blasts, we see blistering lead guitar work add maniacal melodies to the rhythmically riveting musical brilliance. Incantation are a band that has such a unique approach to music, this is showcased wonderfully as we surge through a diverse mixture of textures and tempos, concocting some of the darkest, most evil sounding death metal across no less than a dozen songs. From fast-paced rippers to headbanger-friendly groove, catchy hooks and relentless blasts, there is no denying the huge arsenal of macabre sounds that are offered on this record. The doomy sections intermingle so beautifully with the cavernous atmospherics and then cascade into total carnage seamlessly.

While the feel of the music is undeniably old school, there is nothing overly derivative or repetitive / bland to be found here. There are some parts reminiscent of Bolt Thrower that work marvellously with Incantation’s doomy death metal, but never feel ripped off. This is a sonic hailstorm of malevolent, spectral and furiously aggressive material that is unhinged yet melodious. Thrashing through a medley of varied, expansive and restlessly changing styles, the impeccably massive artillery dropped shows just how wide the scope of these musicians abilities are. The odiously crafted atmospherics and brutal malice entwine you in the enticing spew of true death metal brilliance with no option for escape. Powerful stuff indeed.

As predicted, Incantation have offered another imposing mammoth of visceral, cavernous and expansive death metal delights. Pungent concoctions of hostility and phantasmal soundscapes are what we are gifted from this titanic band, with frenzied yet meditative vitriol. Naturally, this is a must listen for all death metal lovers.

Written for www.nattskog.wordpress.com