Denouncement Pyre, Almighty Arcanum

Let’s get the giggles out of the way first. The moment I saw the album artwork for the latest full-length from Australia’s Denouncement Pyre two thoughts immediately came to mind. First, I really wanted to bust out my old copy of Ooh Crikey It’s Lawnmower Deth and blast “Satan’s Trampoline” on repeat for a good long while. Second, is this album art supposed to represent some sort of demonic Goatse!? And if so, isn’t that image demonic enough on it’s own without adding the minions of Satan to it? At any rate, there is abso-fucking-lutely nothing humorous about the evil and blasphemous music contained on the band’s sophomore effort, Almighty Arcanum.

These guys know how to play some black metal. The vile shit exploding out of my speakers is all jacked up on Satan’s personal stash of trucker meth as it hurtles by with blasting rhythms, searing guitars and more than enough evil to down a bishop on sight. But the thing that sets these guys apart from the slew of trve and cvlt black metal bands out there is that these dudes know how to write a song and deliver it with a frenzied energy. A spot on production certain doesn’t hurt either.

After wading through the atmosphere-setting intro, “An Extension of the Void” erupts out of the gate with driving, swirling riffs and bestial drums. The raspy, belched vocals fit the cold tone of the music perfectly as lower end growls help add depth and accents. There’s an underlying groove to this song that will have your head whipping about in record time. The title track quickly follows with a bit of a punk/thrash vibe to the band’s blackened fury. This song is violent, chaotic and shreds the wings of angels with the biggest damned diesel-fueled wood chipper that band could get their unholy hands on. The warming sounds of Hell introduces the mid-paced “He Who Conquers All” as it smolders and churns in the bleak depths for the first two and half minutes before the beasts of the deep awake with a flurry of blasting drums and flesh searing riffs.

Any fan of black metal (or just aggressive, Christ-hating metal in general) should be drooling over this album, especially when tracks like the massive “Circle of Serpents.” This song starts off with evil guitars as the group builds smoothly over memorable riffs and a steady beat to a rhythm of apocalyptic levels as the vocals arrive. I should also point out album closer, “The Redeemer,” as it’s one of the more developed and structures songs on a stellar second effort.

I’m not usually all that big a fan of black metal in general, but I do enjoy the hell out of Almighty Arcanum. There’s very little to be disappointed by this latest soundtrack from the fiery depths of Hades. Denouncement Pyre have firmly set their boots on the throats of angels and kept the pressure on from the start with this album to the very end. You’ve gotta check this shit out.