Deathepoch - Abysmal Invocation

DEATHEPOCH - Abysmal Invocation (PUTRID CULT - CD 2020)

Deathepoch is another project, in which you could find Lord K from Nekkrofukk, Sacrificulus and recently also Dismembered Flesh Mutilation, involved. Together with Morgul (Putrid Cult) they bring us "Abysmal Invocation". Quite weird album, I have to say, full of surprises and far from standing as something typical and obvious. 

But let's give it a try. Opening song - "Abysmal Invocation I" - it’s something in the vein of Diabolos Rising and MZ 412 maybe? I am not great expert of that sort of music, but imagine a lot of industrial sounds, heavy beat... Even bigger resemblance can come from "Electric Doom Synthesis". That is not something what I would ever imagine to hear here. Anyways, with "Genocide I" a pure, primitive black metal onslaught erupts with very basic riffs and drumming, combined with very harsh, filthy production and morbid, possessed growls. That sounds much more into my liking, I have to say. Especially that I was able to catch some great riffs and generally I like that aggression and viciousness of that barbaric black metal. There's a lot of chaos and noise in Deathepoch's black metal, a lot of ferocity, certainly you could bring the name Beherit here as well, what is just odd to name two so different albums of theirs like "Drawing Down the Moon" and the mentioned "Electric Doom Synthesis" as an influence just for one another project / album. Talking about extreme opposites... 

The brain-drilling industrial / noise / ambient takes half of this album and I treat is as something intriguing and different from the stuff I usually listen to (some of it I do like though, like “Abysmal Invocation II”). But black metal side of "Abysmal Invocation" is what matters more to me, especially when I hear some truly killer riffs / motifs like those from "Genocide II". The album may lose a bit of the flow, giving us such great contrasts between every track and even adding two covers (Sodom and Acheron)... but as a whole I think it is just very interesting and good album. It somehow works. I have played "Abysmal Invocation” a number of times already and it doesn't sound like something I would like to quickly forget about. Interesting. 

Standout tracks: "Genocide II", "Genocide IV", “Abysmal Invocation II” 

Verdict: 70/100