Karmacipher – Introspectrum
Atmospheric Death Metal from Hong Kong, China
Released April 30th, 2020
7/10
Atmospheric death metal is more accurate than death doom but you’ll hear the similarities to bands like Mortiferum or Void Rot. There’s a dirge as well as dissonance but Karmacipher have much more of a theatrical element. I’d consider it mildly technical. It’s a good album to put on if you have a decent speaker setup, there’s a lot of impact and nuance.
The drumming is the most well performed and produced element on this record. It sounds perfect. Being a slower kind of death metal there’s a lot of space for the drummer to play within as well as plenty of build ups. I particularly enjoy the moments where the guitars are high with the drums being the core of the momentum, it works really well here and isn’t boring like on many other albums that utilise space. Everytime I listen again for another instrument it always comes back to the drums.
The element felt the least is the bass which could have been more prominent in the mix and composition. The guitars do a competent job of keeping a structure that has an emphasis on drama and progression over heaviness. It does get very dark, especially on the vocal dominated tracks so it’ll appeal to those seeking something heavy. It’s not as consistently grimy as a lot of death doom however due to the high production and more fantastical segments.
Overall it feels like an album constructed based on what sounds good rather than telling a story but it does indeed sound good right through. At its worst it’s a bit quiet but never far from mind.
7/10
Be the first to comment