This is the second album from Finnish death metal band Devenial Verdict.
Following on from 2022’s very enjoyable Ash Blind comes Blessing of Despair, which contains 51 minutes of new music. Prepare yourself for an onslaught of crushing atmospheric dissonant death metal.
Blessing of Despair sits very much on the atmospheric side of the dissonant death metal equation, offering up vast otherworldly nightmarescapes for the listener to become lost in. It’s harrowing and lethally absorbing, as the band craft vast vistas of apocalyptic darkness that are hideously imposing. This is immense stuff. Of course, it’s ultimately death metal, so boasts plenty of brutality, intensity, and aggression, but these are not the prime goals of Devenial Verdict’s material. Blessing of Despair is all about the atmosphere, and simply uses these elements, (very effectively), to help it to reach its goals. The music is mood-focused and displays a masterful talent for comprehensive worldbuilding.
Blessing of Despair is underpinned by a layer of emotive depth that informs the songwriting in meaningful ways. Devenial Verdict draw from this fertile foundation, allowing it to infuse their music with a rich feeling that is not commonly associated with death metal. This means that whatever the music is doing at any given point on the album – claustrophobic riffs, atypical melodies, structures of colossal distortion, etc. – you can be assured that its impact is above the norm.
Atmospheric, drenched in feeling, loaded with nuanced delivery, and ripe with empyreal songwriting, Blessing of Despair is a record to get to grips with gradually over time, lest you become overwhelmed by its dark splendour. It’s like a window into another world entirely, a world so detailed and complete that you can’t take it all in in one go without risking madness.
Essential listening.
Wonderbox Metal 