Everlasting Spew Records brought forth the debut EP ‘He Whose Name Was Long Forgotten‘ of the death/doom outfit Fossilization on April 2nd, 2021. Hailing from São Paulo, Brazil Fossilization is a newcomer featuring the duo V (bass, guitar, and vocals) and P (drums) of the Brazilian sludge death doom metal band Jupiterian. The band’s third album ‘Protosapien‘ saw these Brazilians reaching the highest musical achievements in their career. Apart from having honed their craft to perfection, they have managed to incorporate the elements of sludge with doom metal. Although Fossilization is just a different beast of the duo’s sonic creation showcasing slow-crushing tempos, set into the murky depths of death/doom metal the music immediately draws the impression of the likes of Krypts, Dead Congregation, and Incantation. 

The EP churns out echoing, cavernous growls that work in conjunction with the oppressive atmosphere, hence delivering five ominous tracks that reek of slow doomy passages. This grisly work of the grimy death metal riffs offers an overwhelming menace to the opening track ‘Neanderthal Tombs‘. Although the lyrical content of the debut EP is very similar to the subjective themes of Jupiterian, Fossilization invokes a foreboding sense of darkness. The song seems to have unsettling tempos ‘He Whose Name Was Long Forgotten‘ steps into the threshold of the sub-genre, but unlike many death/doom metal bands out there, they have successfully portrayed their own nuances. The atmospheric changes are brought in abundance with heavy guitar reverbs and grinding drums. ‘Blight Cathedral‘ crawls through the dense atmosphere where the drums quickly unleash a crushing force of blast beats. Heavy jarring riffs create thick density. Despite the rapid shifts of the drums the duo never fails to grasp the essence of obscure death/doom metal.

‘He Whose Name Was Long Forgotten‘ takes the old school approach by spewing forth sonic eruptions. The guitars apply jarring riffage and a deep cavernous reverberation comes with a plethora of tremolos, creating a dense texture. And while the pace can become heavy and monolithic, sometimes this leads to abrupt conversions from the drums. Different pitches can also be observed from the dense thicket of the plodding riffs. Therefore, a track such as ‘Caronte‘ is deeply steeped in the old school traditions of death metal. Fossilization managed to brew their own brand of death/doom with an EP that offers a harrowing experience.

‘He Whose Name Was Long Forgotten‘ is a punishing death/doom track structured on atonal riffs and oppressive drum beats. The piercing tremolos and the rhythm guitars are seemingly dark and foreboding while there’s a bleak quality that juxtaposes with the cavernous growls, emitting a creepy atmosphere. Fossilization emphasizes the heaviness of the guitar riffs with the massive drum poundings, whereas the cavernous tone of the vocals and the whirring rhythm forms eerie overtones. 

Fossilization channels the crushing vibes of death and doom metal by conveying vicious and acerbic riffs. The dark atmospheric tempos are intriguing and full of hooks. They are the most significant component here. The final track ‘A Deplorable Epoch‘ begins with heavy tribal drumming. The subtle approach to bands such as Incantation is undeniable, but Fossilization‘s musical epoch is far from mimicking such bands. These five tracks on ‘He Whose Name Was Long Forgotten‘ are molded into a complex composition of slow crushing doom and straightforward death metal pummeling. This is absolutely worth checking out if you like the brooding type of cavernous death metal style. Highly recommended for fans of Krypts, Dead Congregation and Incantation. 

Release Date: April 2nd. 2021
Label: Everlasting Spew Records
Track list:

1. Neanderthal Tombs
2. Blight Cathedral
3. Caronte
4. He Whose Name Was Long Forgotten
5. A Deplorable Epoch