Devenial Verdict – Blessing of Despair
Release Date: 4th October 2024
Label: Transcending Obscurity
Bandcamp
Genre: Death Metal, Atmospheric Death Metal, Progressive Death Metal.
FFO: Ulcerate, Morbid Angel, Crown Of Madness, Dysgnostic.
Review By: Rick Farley
Atmospheric and dissonant death metal, when it sounds authentic and is done well, will usually reside high above most other forms of death metal, at least in my dark little disturbed world. It’s kind of interesting that I started my last review of the bands staggering debut album, Ash Blind, nearly with the same sentiment. It still rings true, the idea of taking intensely brutal riffs, then adding spaciousness, dramatic tones and progressive dread adds an incredible amount of extra intrigue to a genre that’s already pretty damn great. Disharmony meets mysterious textures meets uncompromising heaviness equals what seems like the soundtrack to that of a deranged serial killer. Ethereal darkness shrouded in raw brutality. Finnish death metal band, Devenial Verdict, command this nerve-shredding sound with a potency like no other.
Spend even just a moment with 2022’s Ash Blind, and it will show a veteran band on their full length debut executing extreme metal with tremendous precision, as well as an intoxicating sound that’s been evolved into its most hauntingly brutal and complete vision. So, the question stands at, “how could the band possible top that album?” The answer is simple, grow even further. Seems logical and straightforward, honestly, although it often ends up being a misstep for a lot of bands that boldly try to take their sound further. Rest assured, Devenial Verdict are masters of their craft and from the primal opening moments of I have Become the Sun, it’s clear this is going to be magnificent.
In every way, 2024’s Blessing of Despair, which is being released by Transcending Obscurity, is a notch up from its predecessor. No small feat by any means. The record is heavier, harsher, more atmospherically nuanced, better written and most importantly, still as dissonantly sickening as it is beautiful.
For me, track two Garden of Eyes takes the nasty death metal back in time while fully reaming within the realm of modern times. There’s an infectious discordant type of groove that swaggers and stomps in the same way bands like Morbid Angel and Gojira utilize sinister guitar accents in their chuggy jaggedness and catchy riff progressions. Course growls that roar over headbanging groove and punishing drums, rip open your flesh, savagely clawing to your bones so they can be removed and obliterated into dust. Topped off with an otherworldly solo that feels discordantly unnerving, this track might be my favourite.
Title track Blessing of Despair starts off with a cold percussive pattern and a spacey, progressive melody that’s so entrancing, it gives you false hope that what comes next will be safe. It slowly builds into a jarring, hellish concoction of darkened melody and intense blasting. Never content with just one type of mood, this track snakes around, nearly suffocating you to the very moment of near death, only to abruptly release right before you perish.
Closing track, A Curse Made Flesh, flexes its atmospheric muscles, utilizing airiness, darkness, and dense tones. Dragging guitars through the murk, the low-end trudging on and on until the end. Like a lumbering beast, heaving its weight through the depths. A perfect end that brings everything full circle musically, showing a tremendous grasp of lethal songwriting.
To say that this record is good is a huge understatement, this is an achievement by a band only two albums in. Devenial Verdict is at the top of their game, and I see no reason that this won’t end up on years end lists everywhere. Atmospheric death metal at its absolute best. Check Blessing of Despair out immediately.
(5 / 5)
