This is the debut album from Australian death metallers Sarcophagum.
Essentially a side band of the gloriously nasty Golgothan Remains, (three out of four members have links to the band), Sarcophagum also boast the talents of the drummer of the mighty Ashen Horde, (also current/ex-member of Blade of Horus, Decrepid, Evilyn, Norse, Somnium Nox, Virulent Depravity, and more). Suffice to say, I knew I had to check this out.
The Grand Arc of Madness is a 34-minutes dissonant death metal album that crawls with sickening malevolence and blasts with infernal power. It’s a strong record that lives up to the promise it held for me from the moment I became aware of its existence.
The music is dark and menacing, channelling death metal’s primal fury through an esoteric lens. It’s dissonant and sharp, yet still carries a brutality that works in concert with the angular guitars. The album puts me in mind of a mix of Heresiarch, Ulcerate, and Immolation, although other references are available. Essentially, The Grand Arc of Madness benefits from slithering dissonant atmosphere, sinister melodic depth, and the crushing assault of death metal. The songwriting combines atmospheric dissonance with the aggression of the base style well, allowing for mood-focused structures to arise and dominate.
The Grand Arc of Madness offers a satisfying injection of darkly dissonant death metal. It’s dissonant enough to benefit from those otherworldly atmospherics that only dissonance can provide, yet focused and aggressive enough to avoid becoming murky or unfocused. This means it has great appeal to the likes of yours truly. Sarcophagum’s approach is very enjoyable, taking strengths from both sides of the rusted coin to produce an album that draws you in with shrouded mystery and then smashes your skull with a spiked gauntlet.
Very highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 