Dripping-dark-cave-death-metal
Death metal doesn’t always benefit from technicality and clarity. You don’t always need to be impressed by musical ability, and speed. Death metal can be very challenging music to play, and often times, to listen to. The fact is, it doesn’t have to be. It just needs to feel. Bands like Astriferous have this feel. What is this feel that I am talking about? Didn’t you read the title above? Dripping-dark-cave-death-metal!
WTF?
You may be asking, what the fuck Brian? Well, this is my term for this band. Astriferous, and their new album, “Pulsations From the Black Orb” play dripping-dark-cave-death-metal. This is to say, their pace goes from speedy tremolo picking, to mid-paced groove, all the while having deep, raspy death metal vocals, dripping with dark cave reverb. You are in a dark cave, and the band is playing in it, but you can’t see them, because it’s dark as fuck. Dripping… dark… cave… death metal.
About Astriferous
Death metal from Costa Rica, making this their debut full length album, after releasing a series of demos, a split, and an EP. This album is sure to turn heads. Being released on vinyl by UK label Me Saco Un Ojo and the CD by Pulverised Records, where you can find it on Bandcamp. Well, what do I compare this band to? Recently, I think of the Worm album Foreverglade, which was included in both mine, and Eric’s top albums of 2021. It has that dark, moldy, rotting, cave sound. Listen to a song blow on Bandcamp, and you’ll see what I mean.
Cavy, drippy, and dark… right? Atodaso.
The Good
The intro titled: “Intro (The Black Orb)” is incredible. It’s simply a slow bass guitar, some electric guitar feedback, and some spacey, and percussive synthesizers that remind me of some of the trippy parts of Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket, or A Clockwork Orange. Then a chorus of heavy, and slow power chords come in. I mean this part is HEAVY! The second track, called “Blinding the Seven Eyes of God,” kicks right in, with some furious speed, and Swedish style crunchy guitars. The album is non-stop rage, until you get to track 5, titled “Forlorn and Immemorial.” This is a beautiful instrumental acoustic track that is pretty up there with some of my favorite metal instrumental tracks like “Desolate Ways” by Morbid Angel, and “Inquisition Symphony” by Sepultura. I can’t emphasize enough how much I enjoy this 1:46 minute masterpiece. This album calls from early thrash metal, death, and also has lots of slower, doom-like elements. It keeps you guessing, without being too weird.
The Bad
So what could be wrong with this album? Honestly, I don’t see anything wrong. I don’t have the lyrics, so I am not able to judge them at this time, but I don’t think lyrics have ever changed my opinion on an album. There’s really nothing I can say bad about this album. I think the album cover is cool. Kinda reminds me of “From Beyond” by Massacre. The production is sharp, yet perfectly muddy. I just can’t find much bad to say about this album.
Conclusion
Astriferous seem to have somehow nailed the nice balance between old school death metal, German thrash metal, and doom. They can play at a fast pace and make you bang your head like crazy, then they can slow down to some of the heaviest, swampy riffs. Astriferous also throw in two amazing short instrumentals. They can show you melancholic beauty, while also presenting some of the ugliest, yet memorable riffs. The ominous vocals are quite fitting, and seem to creep over the often wild riffs, and ringing cymbals. “Pulsations From the Black Orb” may not be the death metal album for every death metal fan, but it’s the album for this dripping-dark-cave-death-metal fan. 4.5/5 star rating.
| Astriferous – Pulsations From the Black Orb Review |
| Release Date: Friday, March 10, 2023 |
| Label: Saco Un Ojo [vinyl] / Pulverised [CD] |
| Country: Costa Rica |