Nogothula – Telluric Sepsis
Release Date: 13th December 2024
Label: Blood Harvest Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Death Metal
FFO: Decapitated, Aborted, Cryptopsy.
Review By: Andy Spoon
American Death Metal act Nogothula is set to release their debut LP, Telluric Sepsis, on December 13th through Blood Harvest Records. Overall, it’s mind-blowing how a band whose first offering is just this good, compared to other giants in the industry, who often get streaky in their record quality. I think that you aren’t going to want to miss this one if you’re a Cryptopsy, Gorguts, or Decapitated fan. This album combined thoughtful engineering and mastering with excellent source material, making it one of the better albums in the genre I’ve heard all year. I absolutely recommend spinning this album before you waste time on anything else this holiday season.
The twin-vocal attack between high and low techniques is something that I’m really happy with. I think that the use of dual vocals in the metalcore scene was something that was innovative, albeit not my “thing”. I had always hoped that bands in the extreme metal genres would consider using this as part of their sound. I know that my hunch was right as Nogothula’s attack and variation seem to be unique and easy-to-recognize, the holy grail of extreme metal, as being able to be picked out of a playlist without looking up the artist is an elusive feat.
I think that the riffage and immensity of the old-to-medium school death metal is something that exceeds standards on Telluric Sepsis. I think I’m immediately reminded of Cryptopsy and Decapitated, a couple of bands that Nogothula have listed as inspiration, something that is clearly-true. If you like the dual-guitar riff sound, Telluric Sepsis is largely going to have quite a bit of material for your hungry ears. I also think that the rumbling bass guitars across the album gives a major boost to the overall tone of the album. I absolutely enjoyed the depth and the “Fatness” that the boosted bass mix offers the album. Honestly, there wasn’t much missing from the mix at all, something that undoubtedly made for a great listening experience.
I think that the quasi-technical death metal label applies here, as the band doesn’t really move into the “tech death” genre, but seems to float around it, dipping its toes in and out a few times. I think about bands like Aborted or Gorguts in reference to the same. Instead of merely going for pure technical extremity a la Archpsire or Last of Lucy, Nogothula feature more variations and breakdowns of the product to give atmosphere as well as tonal extremity. While I think that the technical prowess is there, Telluric Sepsis has a fair amount of musical integrity along with the headbanging extremity that we’re all here for. This is something that give me more of a feeling that the album is a complete package, rather than just a set list.
I think that the fact that Telluric Sepsis is a debut album makes me excited to see how this band’s future is going to pan out. This is a generally exciting album that has more than a few excellent moments, almost never letting up. The musical and tonal offering is very well-composed and well-produced. The overall intent of the artist is clear, definitely bringing this album into the heavy-hitter category. I really honestly believe that if you like this type of music, these guys have hit the nail on the head. They don’t really have any low points on the album that I was able to think of. If I had to criticize something, it might just be the length, as I might have enjoyed one more track. However, that is purely a subjective take, which lots of other reviewers oppose when it comes to a good LP. I’m biased, however, since this seems to be right up my alley. Props to Blood Harvest records for grabbing an act like Nogothula. I’m sure that ought to pay off in the future.
(4.5 / 5)
