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FORCE OF DARKNESS
Absolute Verb Of Chaos And Darkness EP

Iron Pegasus (2014)
Rating: 8/10

When it comes to lethal fucking metal, the continent of South America has to be one of the most consistently hostile. As a nation of metalheads, it is a continent that revels in the darkness of the underground and throughout the decades has produced some of the best death, black, and thrash metal bands. Another to add to the burgeoning list is Chile’s Force Of Darkness.

Absolute Verb Of Chaos And Darkness is the new EP from this trio who go by the names Nabucodonosor III (vocals, bass), Seb Armageddon (guitars) and Necrohell (drums). They formed in 2002, and have released two decent full-length hell-blasters by the name of 2006’s self-titled opus and 2010’s Darkness Revelation.

This new composition offers six tracks, and in total only runs for some 20 minutes. It seems that the combo is hoping that a short, sharp shock to the system will be sufficient – and it is!

The EP opens with a brief introduction (‘Darkness Revelation’) of esoteric narration before the band leaps into the rattling mayhem that is ‘Thy Mystical Vibration’. As expected from this corner of the Earth, the track is a dark, brutal thrashing plague that sweeps through the ears in volatile fashion, combining hideous vocal sneers, a charging drum tumult, blitzkrieg bass and above all, a cutting, searing guitar tone. It’s a sound that evokes images and sounds of the early-to-mid 80s extreme metal underground, with the likes of Slayer, Possessed, Venom, Sodom, et al springing to mind as the band exhibits its own toxic brand of thrashing black extremity.

In spite of the claustrophobic nature of the barbed guitars and the vociferous vocal snarls, there are some excellent passages of melody when the band slows down, and this is immediately apparent within the murk of ‘The Mystical Vibration’. ‘Creations From Obscurity’ doesn’t buck the trend, although the initial pitch-black barrage is one so hateful and lo-fi that the deafening drums will have the lumps of mould dropping from the ceiling of the crypt onto your banging head.

For a record so short it’s one that really makes an impact, such is its attack and overall attitude. The superb ‘Kliphotic Procreation’ follows the same extreme path with hurtling percussion and maniacal guitars; I’m reminded of the unearthly chaos of Hellhammer, Bathory and Destruction all thrown into a cauldron and stirred into a venomous pulp.

Cruelly obscure and very much drowning in old school theatrics and aesthetics, Force Of Darkness effortlessly live up to their name, providing impure, thrashing soundtracks from hell. The closing brace of ‘Abraxas Revenge’ and ‘Oceans Of Black Lava’ contrast each other as the former spits out flesh and its tyrannical speed, the latter beginning with a doom-laden intro of oil slick motion before kicking in with a punked-up bass until its slip into inky grimness.

In one brief sweep of their mighty talons, this Chilean clan has created chaos and darkness and left a few festering wounds too.

Neil Arnold

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