Band – Tumultuous Ruin
Album – An Abscess on the Heart of the State
Country of Origin – USA
Genre – Black Metal
Release Date – September 15, 2023
Label – Fiadh Productions/Vita Detestabilis Records
Author – Hayduke X
An Abscess on the Heart of the State starts off with an absolutely perfect riff…and then never drops off from that point. Just to be clear about what I’m saying: the debut album by solo RABM artist Tumultuous Ruin is perfect. The dark, mournful riffs might be the best riffs in black metal this year. The unrelenting drums, sitting at the perfect spot in the mix so that they shift in and out of the subconscious, are a solid foundational layer on which the songs are built. The samples are subtle additions, adding to the message, rather than distracting from the music. The vocal attack, venomous rasps, are as on-point as they always are with this project.
As with all of his work, this debut full length by the Los Angeles based artist is a true RABM album. Tumultuous Ruin declares it publicly, then uses lyrical themes to call out and combat oppression of all forms, a true anarchist vision. The lyrics for Destroy What Destroys Us includes the verse:
clinging to their masters
dreams long dead, no vision
mindless and corrupted
apathy submit apathy submit
This vision of willing surrender to oppression is then called out with the lines:
resolve to destroy
what destroys us
The album doesn’t just shine a light on oppression, but is a battle cry to resist it.
Many songs and albums have been called ‘the soundtrack to the revolution’ over several decades. In that sense, An Abscess on the Heart of the State is just the latest one to earn that remark. However, this album really does earn it. In solidarity with Tumultuous Ruin, it is time to heed the messages of this release.
Musically, the album is mostly a slow burner instead of a rager. Beautiful and mournful, the black metal presented here is dark and haunting, with little hope. The vision of the world seen between the riffs is bleak, but there is strength and spine there too – enough to rise up with each cadence to move inexorably forward and fight back!
Listen. Ponder. Then act!
Biography: Hayduke X has been writing for MoshPitNation since June of 2016. He is also a contributor to The Metal Wanderlust. Prior to joining the MoshPitNation team, Hayduke published reviews on his own blog Rage and Frustration. In addition, he has DJ’ed an online metal radio show of the same name as his blog, written for TOmetal.com, done interviews for Metal Rules, and collaborated with The Art of B Productions to create video interviews with a wide variety of bands.
