Taken together, the two sides of Theosulphuros have something of a yin yang quality to them – the more structured Precaria, riding herd on the wild nature of Darkness, driving chaos relentlessly forward and the more chaotic ÔROS KAÙ whose wild rhythms reveal a central, mesmeric calm being birthed.
Desperation. Hatred. Pain. All of these can be heard in every riff, drum beat, and anguished growl of Maurice de Jong on Shapeless Misery, his latest offering to the world.
Musically ugly, the nasty riffs, abrasive drumming, destructive bass, and visceral howls of rage-filled horror mirror the ugly underbelly of society, an underbelly that has always been there, but that has been crawling ever further into the light during the tenure of this administration.
The final product is gripping, painful to behold, and wonderfully cathartic.
…the band combines passionate vocals with a top notch blend of influences woven through their melodic death base, to call attention to the destruction being visited on the earth through the havok of mankind.
A day before their third album was set for release, I talked with Serena Cherry and Liam Phelan of Svalbard. What unfolded was a conversation about the sexism that exists within music publications, sketches of the band members as dogs, the final shows before the Covid lockdown, and the spectacular graphics of video games in 2001.
What has been wonderful is, even though it was Cammie’s vocals that drew me in, it’s the entire package that keeps bringing me back, and making this album one of my most listened to this year, on a playlist stuffed full of black metal, death metal, and grindcore.
Feature article on Minneapolis RABM band Changeling featuring reviews of all three releases and an extensive conversation with the band.
Make a small act of solidarity by purchasing this massive compilation!
With the new album Abreaction, AMIENSUS seem to take all of these seemingly disparate styles and combine them into a cohesive unity in which every element is pronounced and perfected.