Haunted Cenotaph - Abyssal Menace

HAUNTED CENOTAPH - Abyssal Menace (FALLEN TEMPLE - CD 2020)

"Abyssal Menace" is an album, which I really looked forward to hear. In their two previous recordings, especially the self titled EP, Haunted Cenotaph proved to be one of the most worthy new bands in the Polish scene. And one of the more unique also, since there aren't many alike bands in this scene (Eternal Rot is the only one I can think so now). Finally, a CD came from Fallen Temple and I have to say that it's a killer album. I really cannot think of anything what I would not like on "Abyssal Menace" and would want to be done different. This obscure form of death / doom metal suits me fine, especially when it sounds best in its most archaic and purest form, just as it is here on "Abyssal Menace". 

Only two things are always necessary - bands like these need to deliver some crushing riffs and proper, dark, creepy atmosphere of horror. No problem with that here and Haunted Cenotaph very efficiently builds their songs with all these essential aspects. There's great heaviness and brutality, tempo wise the music is mostly slow, but there's just enough dynamics (like in “Cursed Abomination“) to avoid monotony or boredom. Haunted Cenotaph delivers plenty of interesting ideas, there are great arrangements and the band easily creates that eerie atmosphere, which I mentioned earlier - and they do so without the use of keyboards or stuff like that, which is also important, I think, as this way the music is rawer and more savage. 

There are some fragments, where riffs can even remind you the very classic doom metal (Cathedral is a name, which often appears in the reviews... sure). And this combination of obscure doom death metal in its most harsh and dark form with the sludge of classic doom is certainly one of the most impressive aspects of this album. Occasionally I can smell influence from the Swiss bands also, not only the classic like Hellhammer and Celtic Frost (which had to be major influence for Haunted Cenotaph, for sure), but also from such Bolzer - especially every time, when more epic riff comes in and vocals turn into some sort of howling or possessed yell. Oh, I really like that also, it sounds a bit different this way from most of other doom death metal bands like Hooded Menace or Eternal Rot, for instance. But what I like is that all these bands have so much to offer and "Abyssal Menace" is exactly like that also. Good album, good band... Nothing else to wish for. Check this shit out then. 

Standout track: "Abyssal Menace" 

Verdict: 80/100