Vortex of End: Abhorrent Fervor

With this release, Vortex of End continue to explore the path they started down on their last album, only this time they’re a bit more comfortable with where they’re going and where they want to end up. For years, the band mostly stuck to abrasive and relentless black metal, but they have been increasingly mixing in elements of death metal in ways that give their music a touch of subtlety and a somewhat different overall shape. If I sound like I’m temporizing a little, it’s because this album is still quite aggressive and violent, and I don’t want fans of extreme metal to think Vortex of End has gone soft.

And yet, if you listen closely there are moments when the band seems to pause so that things can take a quick, calming, breath. There are also a few moments, as on “Perdition Whorl,� where the music takes up a slightly melodic quality. It doesn’t last very long, but it gives the listener a little bit of ground before the next attack. My favorite tracks, “Cascades of Epiphanies� and “Stygian Hexahedron� extend that ground even more. There are even moments on the latter where things stop, if only for a second. The best part of “Stygian Hexahedron,� though, is the way it takes up a killer riff and then shifts it just enough to keep things interesting and weird. That tune breaks things down even further toward the end, not only by having the vocals change up their style, but also by taking the guitars in a different direction. Of all the songs on this album, “Stygian Hexahedron� comes across as the most experimental. And it works beautifully.

It’s easy to describe this album as tightly wound and even more tightly constructed. It’s also easy to describe it as angry and aggressive. I realize there’s a slight risk in also calling it subtle, but I think the word fits. Just listen to the opening two minutes (or so) of album closer, “Putrid Fluids� to get a taste of what these guys are doing with ambience and arpeggios. After the song explodes into something much more violent, it eventually settles into something slightly calm, a return to familiar notes and rumbling ambience. This song is twice as long as all the other songs on this album, but it may also be the most interesting. It’s nice to see this band play around with their sound a little bit, especially since the change is not so radical that it turns its back on everything the band has done before.

Track Listing:
1. Perdition Whorl
2. Sovereign Wrath
3. Golden Fragments
4. Cascades of Epiphanies
5. Stygian Hexahedron
6. Putrid Fluids

Added: November 6th 2021
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 467
Language: english

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