Nobody would argue that 2011 was a good year for metal. There was new material from proven names, along with some interesting new entries to stir things up. The UK's Cruciamentum lumbered forth with a new EP, Engulfed in Desolation, in the last days of this tumultuous year, and it proved to be ideal as the first review of 2012.
As of late, there seems to be lots of visible activity in the death metal underground. The problem is that much of it is being produced by bands with recombinant names and a weak grasp of the style. It isn't enough to have fuzzy guitars and washed out growling vocals in order to lay claim to the greatness of bands like Immolation and Incantation. Atmosphere, nuance, and conviction are what is required, and Cruciamentum captures these ideas in the space of four crushing tracks.
What sets this band apart from other late-model entries (including the very good Grave Miasma, with whom they share members) is the way in which they inhabit their sound in a genuine and organic fashion. Cruciamentum bypasses imitations by putting their own malignant stamp on the established sound. Guitarist/vocalist DL roars where others would all but belch into the microphone, and lead guitarist RC rips at his solos with a reverent ear towards the frenzied efforts of Hoffman-era Decide and Blasphemy. These, along with some spotless drum performances, make Engulfed in Desolation memorable and massive. Despite its small assembly of songs, the EP feels like a complete work in every regard, and the songs are just long enough to gather strength and harness darkness without getting bogged down in repetition or excess.
The production on this recording is old-era with a little bit of appropriate updating for modern devices, but overall the sensibility is firmly rooted in the timelessness of the albums that served as the band's foundation. All the ideas here are fully realized and revel in their own power, and this is where Cruciamentum prevails.
As is often the case, one could go on about the fine points of this release and break it down to its smallest nuances, but that would contradict the nature of the work. Engulfed in Desolation is about the big ideas, where death looms large and the music feels more like slow suffocation than a wild beating. It's actually perfectly fine that the band didn't attempt a full-length right away, as they've said everything necessary with the material at hand. Many bands will continue to vye for the top tier of new death metal glory, but it seems like Cruciamentum may rise to the pinnacle if they continue on this trajectory. Hail death.
For more info: Engulfed in Desolation is out now on Nuclear Winter Records.
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