SÉPULCRE - Ascent Through Morbid Transcendence (2020)

 

  Ascent onto Sepulchral Domain

My entire collection isn't overloaded by demo tapes coming from French underground to be honest. What's more, this title is the first of such a release I guess. I do not think now if it's so important how I found Sépulcre name, but probably it was during doing some Encyclopaedia Metallum updatings with another French band called Skelethal. Important is, to put briefly, that „Ascent Through Morbid Transcendence” demo is a really good piece of death metal and became one of the most interesting stuff I bought last year. 

And despite having members from well-known crews (Destrӧyer 666, Necrowretch, Skelethal, Cadaveric Fumes), the band strikes with the demo tape released profesionally by Invictus Productions and containg of three songs with opening introduction clocking in almost 15 minutes. And that's enough to get any insight in what they are all about. There are no understatements, there are no fake traces. Simply, it's fascinating combination of old Finnish school (times of „Unholy Domain” and „Slumber of Sullen Eyes” or Funebre's debut) with some morbid Autopsy touch. Yep, such a thing should work and believe me, it works at full blast! As for production, everything (except for drums realization) is done by JW – well, it sounds the old way definitely, and perfectly fits to the musical content, especially when it comes to the bass lines – they're active all the time providing a total havoc with rampant drums. It sounds scarily, not only the opening „Sepulcrascent” intro and thanks to the pervasive putrid atmosphere I may easily put the title onto the shelf with cavernous metal. Futhermore I found myself to listen to it at nighttime only, but rather by coincidence. And then the overall impressions seem to grow into real sepulchral nightmare... into descending Death Metal darkness as it has been put in tape booklet.

These three songs are pretty equal and it's very hard to choose the leader. Granted, the demo runs smoothly and after the last seconds of „Drowned in Impure Semen” that ends abruptly and unexpectedly, I just beg for more! Great for the start, there's no filler on the table, as they can dose paces skilfully bringing both destroying mad guitar riffs and slow, full of terrifying melodies parts – such structures remind me of Finnish scene (sometimes even from Amorphis debut ) and I simply love it. As for vocals, KD uses deep growls mainly, however some eerie whispers are present in „Invocation in Plague Ridden Entity” as well. And summing the thing up, it seems a right move to ask the question now: is it possible to hear another step of the band as the demo hit the underground in 2020? I know they're extremely busy with many other projects / bands, but yes! They are going to release an Ep called „Aethyr Emanations” in 2022 and... I can't wait!

85/100

-Tlacaxipehualiztli

(written in January, 2022)