Ελληνικά
Last Updated on 05:06 PM by Lilliana Tseka
Genre: Death Metal
Country: United Kingdom
Label: Profound Lore Records
Year: 2015
Cruciamentum are conquerors in the death metal world and they have achieved that with very few releases. In fact, the underground scene held an exalted devotion to the band since their first demo recordings in 2008 and 2009, which are still considered top-notch. And of course, their massive 2011 EP “Engulfed in Desolation” brought them even more attention, it’s when I first listened to them as well and frankly, I’ve been waiting for a full length since then. Four years seems like a lifetime ago.
If you ask me, this record is nothing less than a revolting punch in the stomach, it’s furious and relentless from start to finish. Death metal has expanded a lot the last two decades, but to me it’s first and foremost characteristic is the brutality and “Charnel Passages” is full of it. The tracks include excellent riffs, awesome melodies, great vocals and generally top musicianship, along with the crushing production they finally achieved in the studio. The lines sound heavy, combative and powerful, sculpting the way death metal sounds best in our days and that’s just awesome.
Much like Dead Congregation and their brothers Grave Miasma, Cruciamentum also create a dismal atmosphere that totally owns the listener, while their compositions are intimidating and very well written. From the first riff of the opening track “The Conquered Sun (The Dying Light Beyond Morpheus Realms)” one understands that the record will be one hell of a ride and it keeps you hooked up for all it’s fourty four minutes of duration. The band uses haunting synths in the background at some points, like in “Rites To The Abduction Of Essence” and “Necrophagous Communion”, a tool that helps a lot in building the particular, brutally beautiful atmosphere of theirs.
If you have heard the bands mentioned before you should know what feelings “Charnel Passages” provokes, and it’s efficacious to your death metal needs. The tracks range from five to eight minutes and all of them display an abundance of brilliant melodies, while the lyrics are truly a piece of work. Cruciamentum have some of the most enjoyable lyrics I have read lately in death metal and not only, so if you skip them you’re simply missing out.
They demonstrate the talent of crafting insane riffs everywhere and the result is breathtaking, with one of the standout tracks being the last, “Collapse”. It’s also the longest on the record and it has the best guitar melodies of the record to me. Knowing that should make you listen to the record until it ends! “Charnel Passages” doesn’t go wrong anywhere at all and it will shake the death metal scene as it should. The future analysts will acknowledge bands and records like these as the epitome of the genre, we’re witnessing history.
4,5/6
