After debuting their EP ‘He Whose Name Was Long Forgotten’ which was followed by a split release with Ritual Necromancy, Fossilization has understood how to balance atmosphere with thick layers of cavernous sludgy riffs. There is no doubt that the duo have brought something monstrous that fits the aesthetics of death metal. The immense sound of the guitars and the crushing drums in the album’s intro ‘Archæn Gateway’ makes a smooth transition to the following song ‘Once Was God’ giving an impression of greater riffs and cavernous growls.

The slow-crushing segments are heavy with more focus on the blistering drums is something Fossilization has skillfully mastered in the previous release. From the devastating drums ripping through the fast-paced tempos to the riff-laden tremolos, the Brazilian duo  has conjured up dexterous craftsmanship. The offering of the sheer dark quality of tracks like ‘Oracle of Reversion’ the riffing perfectly wields an oppressive atmosphere, and the inhuman vocals of bassist and guitarist V are loaded with anguish. The drums are fast and ushering in subtle layers of ungodly reverberation and execution in fierce double bass. The tempo of songs varies from straightforward blast beats to unnerving slow doom moments that are laden with subtle, somber undertones.

Though it’s not all slow and gloomy ‘Leprous Daylight’ offers a slew of ballistic riffing. For instance, ‘At The Heart of The Nest’ opens with the drums firing off massive blast beats. While this leads to plenty of death doom riffing, there is a wide variation in the album that the duo has put effort into and it comes as no surprise that Fossilization has managed to blend the style of Finnish death/doom aesthetics with monstrous growls. The atmosphere is ungodly and stifling meandering into the cavernous sphere of creepy doom passages. The drumming patterns showcase another sonic feature in the song structure.

Fossilization’s songwriting style seems to bring an assertive level of brutality: despite the fierce drumming assault executed by P, the integration of the rhythmic quality of the guitars adds another dimension to the album’s title track ‘Leprous Daylight’. The slower tempos imbue a feeling of solemn procession and build into something extremely bleak. The abundant tremolo riffing contrasts with the cascading effect of the blast beats. ‘The Night Spoke The Tongue of Flames’ shows the inspiration from the Finnish death/doom band Krypts as well as from Incantation. While each song is prominent in tempo changes with tidal drumming outbursts and tremolo-picking, it really demonstrates the coherence between the instruments.

Fossilization has realized their sheer magnitude requires compositional song structure:  the duo manages to create an outstanding framework for their first album. There’s no doubt that the band has taken a major leap forward in strengthening their songwriting. Tracks like ‘Eon’ ooze a bleak sense of darkness and plunge into eerie cacophony, with the aim to add different textures instead of emphasizing the doom-laden riffs. This maneuver applies to several tracks on the album to bring more variation and elements from the slower death/doom style.

The faster sections are as venomous and brutal as the drums excel at being oppressive and ultimately crushing. The double bass work in the closing final track ‘Wrought In The Abyss’ perfectly captures the atmosphere and aggression in a rather slow-paced tempo. The opening riff sounds as ominous as the low guttural growls that lead to some sporadic blast beats and double bass drums that seem to be confined in the spectral realm of death/doom, where the riffing shifts to sinister slow tempos and the guitars provide a spacious atmosphere.

Links