♫♪  Noctambulist - Atmospheres of Desolation

The first minute and a half of this track offers a spectacularly frenzied attack, from the Denver-based black/death outfit. Endlessly entrancing riffs weave in and out, akin to a trip down a fractal, while the drums are like a city under siege. A barrage of snare hits spray from what seems an M1 Carbine, while explosions of cymbals and repeated tom rolls, induce shell-shock. Amidst this chaos, shrieks prompt terror and death-growls bring cold comfort.

The turmoil of the first third of the song, gives way to more sprawling guitar work, calling to mind the heyday of late 90s noise and math rock, yet thicker, heavier. Dulcet guitar tone and low-key percussion establish a tranquil, yet still, foreboding climate. It is a welcome respite for the creation of space, a meditative moment, however brief. As anticipated, Noctambulist reemerges, after reloading, with a more straight-forward offensive. The crescendo and climax, bolstered by the pump action of blast beats, witnesses the band seamlessly transition back into the insanity of the song’s initial sequence. Yet an abrupt halt to all percussion leaves behind an ominous wall of noise and feedback, which closes out the song. A low and sporadic single bass note then thrums, the reverberation of all the carnage that came before: the echoes of decimation.

Chocolate Grinder

CHOCOLATE GRINDER is our audio/visual section, with an emphasis on the lesser heard and lesser known. We aim to dig deep, but we’ll post any song or video we find interesting, big or small.

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