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PHENOCRYST “Cremation Pyre”
PHENOCRYST “Cremation Pyre”
By Dr. Abner Mality
Portugal now throws their hat into the death metal maelstrom with PHENOCRYST. And they do a more than credible job of it, too. Is it enough to thrust them to the apex of the current scene? No, there’s just too much out there. But I think your time with “Cremation Pyre” will be well spent.
They most definitely do not play the “caveman” death metal so prevalent, but they do have a very sepulchral and cavernous sound. I would not call them a true tech-death band, but they have more than one iron in the fire. Some of the songs are fairly long (though thankfully not really monolithic) and feature a lot of changes in speed and riff. Take “Astonishing Devastation”, for example. I’d say this one comes across like INCANTATION meeting PESTILENCE...angular, fast riffing combined with doomy claustraphobia. It’s a good mix!
The album’s later songs are more expansive and experimental….”Embers of An Ancient Fire” and “Volcanic Winter” start playing around with almost psychedelic lead guitar excursions. Remember AFFLICTED from 30 years ago? That’s what PHENOCRYST brought to mind on these songs. “Fogo Nas Entranhas” trudges dolefully along with lyrics in Portuguese and things wrap up with a grim little death-doom instrumental “Burial Swamps”.
There’s good potential here, but in today’s bloated death metal scene, you’ve got to knock a 500 foot homer out of the park and PHENOCRYST hasn’t quite gotten there. Yet.
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