This is the latest EP from Canadian death metallers Gutvoid.
This is 4-track EP follows on from Gutvoid’s enjoyable 2022’s Durance of Lightless Horizons. With a duration of 30 minutes there’s plenty of meat on the bones of Breathing Obelisk, so let’s dig in and see what it tastes like.
The EP opens with Swamp Consumed, a 10-minute slab of heaviness infused with eerie melodies and atmospheric malevolence. It’s touched with a doom influence, but less so than some previous Gutvoid material. Think of a cross between Bolt Thrower, Spectral Voice, and Blood Incantation and you’ll have a rough idea of what we’re talking about here. It’s a damn good song, and the expressive melodies alone are worth the entrance fee.
Up next is the shortest song at 6 minutes – For We are Many. The song has a rough, jagged edge that feels one step away from falling apart. It’s an energy that is strangely compelling though. The slithering blasting aggression and serpentine grooves recall Immolation, and I’m on board for this.
Following on from that comes When the Living Dome Opens, a song with an otherworldly vibe that’s absorbing. A compelling mix of cosmic darkness and earthly horror, it smashes together these two auras to produce a song that has a kind of atmospheric urgency to it. Unusual, but compelling, Gutvoid have crafted something that’s engaging. There’s a really strong solo section too. In fact, the entire second half of the song is particularly good.
The final song is called Shodar and cements my opinion that Gutvoid are on to a good thing here. It has a progressive feel to it that I like, while still being steeped in death metal nastiness. It reminds me of UK progressive death metallers Korpse, but with a touch of old Katatonia and an unexpectedly playful air. For me, this is Gutvoid at their most inventive and creative, and I’d love to see them push themselves like this more in the future.
Gutvoid have crafted an enjoyable release that showcases their evolving style well. There’s much to like here, so if you’re a fan of underground death metal that reaches for the stars, while still getting its claws dirty, then Breathing Obelisk is a release you should definitely check out.
Wonderbox Metal 