“From a radiant past into a desolate present.”
Those of us who plumbed the extreme depths of post metal in the mid 2010s will remember the mysterious Jupiterian and their three excellent records. These are the precursor to Brazil’s best kept extreme metal secret, Fossilization. This new incarnation of the band kept their atmospheric edge and transitioned into death metal on their debut EP He Whose Name Was Long Forgotten. This release caught a lot of attention and started a long-lasting relationship with label Everlasting Spew, who now put out the band’s second LP, Advent of Wounds.
The project’s core duo, credited as ‘V’ (Vakka) for all the guitar work and ‘P’ (Paulo Pinheiro) on drums, have changed for Advent Of Wounds. ‘P’ has gone their own way and the duo now has a guitarist, ‘Z’, contributing in their place. V has discussed an increased influence from black metal on the record, as well as channelling early doom bands, decanting their atmosphere into Advent of Wounds whilst aiming to make it as brutal as possible. This release reinforces their place at the forefront of the death-doom microgenre.
Opener “Cremeation of a Seraph” opens as if we are waking from within carbonite, as the pummel of blast beats fall hard with trem-picked guitars. The drums remain relentless, forming a wall of sound over which V layers his vocals, channelling the roar of winter itself. Without these vocals the track might have signalled a full genre shift into black metal, but V’s register is unmistakably low and monstrous, recentring the track within the coveted ‘Fossilization’ soundspace. The other unmistakable aspect is the production, which merges a tangible and pristine studio recording of the band with the beckoning call of reverb all around its edges.
The record visits the rest of its influences on the second track. “Disentombed and Reassembled by the Ages” pulls the tempo slower and builds towards cathedralesque doom passages in its middle. When the speed redoubles and the blasts pick up again, it’s immensely satisfying. Later “Terrestrial Mold” flies the flag of doom again, ‘V’s voice carving out all the space it deserves. By the end the track is so ‘doom’ it tips into an atmosphere of abject tragedy.
“Scalded by his Sacred Halo” emphasises dissonant riffs that repeat and repeat, like capturing an Ulcerate passage in a time loop and building a towering monument from it. Similarly, “Servo” rips one of the album’s few solos and follows up with some more maddening riffs and tempo changes. “While the Light Lasts” is narrowly the record’s longest track and might be the most varied, opening in death metal stride, blackening it with a furious middle, then closing on the simplest tiff on the whole album. The record closes on a comparatively short track, “Temple of Flies and Moss”, and it’s so fast that it’s perhaps a ‘speed run’ of the band’s formula, galloping out with all guns blazing for the killing blow.
These songwriting details reveal why the Fossilization formula works. However, it’s also true that this record can be taken in from afar. This is not to discredit it – much like a lot of death-doom and extreme metal, the wall of sound and dissonant aspects render it tough to take in without careful study. Projecting a sound is valuable in its own right, especially as the human craft behind all the cacophony shines through. You’ll likely see this commentary arise when Fossilization and their contemporaries are discussed, so rest assured: whether you experience Advent of Wounds in broad strokes or with a fine comb, you’ll find satisfaction.
Taking the full discography in context, the band’s debut EP still towers as the most important Fossilization release. Years spent working on Jupiterian positioned this project’s launch perfectly, and although Advent of Wounds sounds like high definition terror and tyranny, there’s much charm to all their releases. It’s only inessential because there’s no wrong place to start. This is a great addition to their discography, and there’s been no better time as the band are in the process of booking their second European tour.
7/10
Advent Of Wounds releases on the 13th of February through Everlasting Spew records and can be pre-ordered here.