Hadal Maw – Oblique Order EP
Release Date: 31st December 2021
Label: BlightTown Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Dissonant Death Metal, Progressive Death Metal, Hefty-Boi Riffs.
FFO: Ophidian I, Gorguts, Archspire.
Review By: Ben Harris-Hayes
Ok, ok…so, 2021 has been pretty darn good for death metal and extreme metal releases on the whole.
Obviously, the pandemic situation has denied touring and caused a lot of issues for bands reliant on that aspect of the business…but, it’s also allowed bands to take a step back and perhaps ‘compose’ themselves a bit because they’re not in the rushed repetitive cycle of writing and then worrying about touring.
This year we’ve heard crushing efforts from a slew of immense talent (not naming names, but you know who I mean) and it’s been a good year for us fans.
Australia’s Hadal Maw return with a 4 track EP of technically crushing death metal; veering towards (but not quite aping) the atonal madness of Ulcerate and the speedy tech-DM of Archspire…just a super rough ballpark to play in.
First up, big props to mix/master engineering maestro, John Douglass, who steers the band towards a dense, crushing mix.
Having reviewed a few bands this year who deal in the DM stakes that didn’t have a production to match; this was great to hear.
The barely restrained power of the mix crawls out of the speakers, and I really enjoyed the dense layering going on.
It’s chaotic, yet smartly knows it’s chaotic…
Opening track, ‘Fetishize Consumption’ blasts out of the speakers for the off with it’s flat-5ths and dissonant worship. The low-tuned guitars sound chunky and mirky at the same time, with their palm-muted thumps and cheeky scale runs.
What I liked is that despite the pure filth going on, there is a clear need by the band to embrace their melodic tendencies too and some bands seem to forget that just pummelling a listener can get old very quickly.
I did grin at the swirling kickdrum-infused section in this song that really reminded me of a similar section in ‘43% Burnt’ by The Dillinger Escape Plan.
The title track of the E.P and track 2 on the release, ‘Oblique Order’, kicks off in a mid-paced crawling style with the cacophony of multi-layered vocals prevalent.
Now, I have to hold my hands up and give a massive “Oh, hell yes!” to the guys in the band for the riff-section that kick off at roughly 3:00 in this track.
I kept rewinding this 1 minute section a number of times because, quite frankly, it is immense and, dare I say it, one of my fave things I’ve heard this year within any song…and that’s saying a lot.
They tease the main riff, before going into a melodic solo and then unleash the full glory of the riff over a blastbeat…which becomes more layered and layered with (I think) keyboards/synths underpinning the whole arrangement for this bit.
My stank face was in full gurn at this bit!
Loved it!!
The timing-signature swing-feel vibe of track 3’s ‘Future Eaters’ is both satisfying and gurn-inducing, with those swirling, dissonant licks really taking center-stage on this track.
Not afraid to break things down and rebuild during a song is a strong point of Hadal Maw’s arsenal on this EP, and they perfectly execute that on this track before closing the song with a no-fanfare and very abrupt (yet groovy) chug.
‘Vile Veneration’ is the 4th and final track on this EP and once again showcases that epic, dense and layered sound here, before smashing you once more in the face with a blastbeat.
Nods of the DM godfathers, Morbid Angel, are here as the crawling, bendy-riffs return and siege between those dissonant jazz-tinged licks once more.
By the 8th time of going through this EP, I finally placed why I liked a lot of the riff style here, and whether Hadal Maw are even aware of them or not; my mind thought about the criminally underrated Italian ‘black-jazz’(?) band, Ephel Duath. (I have much love for Davide Tiso and this band, btw).
Not saying the Hadal Maw even know or have heard of Ephel Duath, but it’s those jazz-soaked arpeggios and dissonant chords that flow throughout this EP that I enjoyed and reminded me of Tiso’s eclectic guitar-work and compositions.
There’s a number of great sections and riffs on this EP…but the question is would I recommend ‘Oblique Order’ amongst the bazillion other DM bands battling it out for space in the cold vacuum of the internet that I have heard this year?
You know what?
I would very much recommend this to people who like their death metal with a hefty dose of chug, a large pinch of dissonance and above all, a smattering of cleverness to the arrangements.
I’m not going to go on too much as to why I like it, other than to say that the more I listened to this EP; the more I liked it…because I kept finding new things that enticed me.
From the initial listens with the riffs/sections that leapt out at me immediately, through to later listens with the dense chaos that slowly grew on me.
Having heard a LOT of DM this year which has weirdly left me unfulfilled or not bothered, this EP doesn’t overstay it’s welcome and has the right amount of brutality and melodic sensibilities to ensure I give this a more-than favourable rating.
Overall, it’s a big ol’ slap-bass thumbs-up from this scribe, and I’ll be keeping an eye on where Hadal Maw go next.
(4.5 / 5)
