Expanse of Hellish Black Mire

The latest EP from these Ohio based death metallers offers a solid slab of percussive death metal in the vein of Morpheous Descends, with some brief nods to unbearably weird Demilichian groove jumping out at well-timed intervals. The production sits on that early Suffocation vibe of brutal death metal that emphasises rhythm above all. And indeed, there are many hints of slam breakdowns here and there, but they are so well knitted into the idiosyncratic chromatic death metal riffs that make up the bulk of this EP that they pass without notice.

The drums are raw, crisp, and sharp. What they lack in atmospheric qualities they more than make up for in work ethic. Offering a cavalcade of collapsing fills and off kilter rhythmic centres to frame the rich tapestry of riffs as they roll by. The guitars have that crisp yet highly distorted sound that makes up a lot of brutal death metal, placing greater value on rhythm than melodic articulation. That being said, Noxis unpack a surprisingly diverse array of death metal riff traditions in this relatively short EP, and go far beyond the realms of standard brutal death metal in their quest to refresh the genre.

Although the guitar tone is boisterous and confident, it leaves plenty of space in the mix for us to hear the thundering bass. The tone is distorted, but clear enough to allow us an insight into the mechanics of the basslines as they either reaffirm the guitar lines or offer accents and licks that interplay with the frantic up/down scale runs of the guitars. Vocals are a lurking presence of malevolence beneath the harsh veneer, operating at a very guttural level that cuts through the lowest end of this EP’s sound range.

‘Expanse of Black Hellish Mire’ is a name that not only rolls of the tongue nicely, but the music itself shows an imaginative mastery of a wide range of influences. They have managed to blend Finnish weirdness with old school NYC death metal in a way that is not contrived or derivative, but rather very much its own beast; at once wholly familiar yet completely fresh to the ears.

Originally published at Hate Meditations