LVCIFYRE – The Calling Depths

I had to take a quick trip so I thought I’d get some work done.  Now, I’m a lazy bastard so my idea of work probably isn’t the same as yours.  I loaded some of the albums I’d been given to review onto my trusty iPod, and my “work” consisted of listening to said albums while sitting in the airport and on the plane.  Like I said, probably not what most people would think of as work.

But, it did lead me to this gem by a band called LVCIFYRE.  Honestly had never heard of them before, but this is a very good release.  There is a really nice death metal feel to this album, and I’m sure the good folks on the flight with me were wondering why I was twitching away as I listened to this one for the first time.

Some of you readers might quibble and call this blackened death metal, and I wouldn’t argue a whole lot.  There are definitely some black metal touches in here.  I am not big on the whole sub-genre thing in metal, but I do like to try to give you all an idea of what this might sound like, in hopes you’ll check it out and enjoy it as much as I do.

Opening track, also the title track, starts with a voice rasping, whispering what seems to be an incantation, while screams are heard in the background.  And then the ground opens up beneath us and the music blasts forth from the gates of hell.  Ahhhhh!!  Pummeling, unrelenting, about as subtle as a jackhammer to the base of the skull, these guys bring it.  Track number 2, “Succubi”, starts with a scream, then more brutalizing of the ear holes.  “The Faceless One”, the third track on offer here, slows the tempo down just a bit but continues the onslaught.  This is just brutal, skull thrashing stuff.
By the time you get to the 4th song, “LCF”, you are praying for a respite, but there is none here, and there is no one to hear your prayers.   The tempo picks right back up, the blast beats are in full attack mode, and you are left to try to defend yourself from the relentless ass kicking.   I could go on and on, but I think you have probably gotten the idea by now.  And I don’t mean to imply that all of these songs sound the same, because they don’t.  But they are alike in that they grab you by the throat, shake you around, and then toss your limp, lifeless carcass to the side like so much worthless detritus.

There are four more tracks that wrap up this album: “Holy Chaos”, “Death’s Magnetic Sleep”, (hmm, interesting title), “Husk Of Impurity”, and “The Great Fall”.  Believe it or not, the last track is the most brutal one here.  This is a great album to put on and just close your eyes and let the music do its thing.  It’s like a sonic massage that will definitely take all of the kinks out of a rough day.   Although it might also just take your life too if you’re not careful. 

- ODIN