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CEMETERY DWELL
Towards A Dreadful Cosmos

Self-released (2023)
Rating: 8/10

Now there’s an album cover to grab your attention! This is the work of frightful Argentine band Cemetery Dwell, a monstrous outfit that brings forth vocals not only from the dark passages of the throat but from the demonic pits of Hell. Such bestial barks are matched by the unholy racket created by the tirade of drums, guitar and bass as this mysterious duo embarks upon an opus that roars like foaming seas.

Opening track ‘Ancient Fell Of God’ is an infernal cacophony so fierce as it channels the bombastic ghoulishness of Morbid Angel with its blasphemous bludgeoning. It’s a devastating way to start an album and thankfully such ferocity never wanes. ‘The Pits Of Rebirth’ follows in such a damaging manner, fuelled by dense yet gushing riffs that bleed profusely with those blasting flurries.

Cemetery Dwell boast somewhat of a mid-90s vibe; no gimmicks, no sludge, just straightforward hammering bolstered by chunky rhythms circa Finland’s Depravity. So darkly aggressive are the torrents here that one starts to quickly pray for a mid-tempo section just to ease the hostility. Such respite emerges within the fleshy folds of ‘Beyond The Threshold’, another colossus of chaos that booms with bombastic horror.

Even with its torrential outbursts this record drops with cavernous melody, the band being not shy in implementing satanic strategies of groove-based terror as exhibited on the catchy ‘Enter The Outer Dark’. The production on this offering is immense, allowing the instrumentation to throb in miasmic fashion so that each riff oozes with a monolithic arrogance. Such is the formidable nature of this beast that the listener doesn’t feel worthy to be in its presence.

A glut of bands nowadays have opted for gloomier and sludgier vibes, but not these South Americans. Instead, they opt for direct pulverisation like a cage fighter who finishes off his opponent in the first round.

Neil Arnold

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