Phrenelith – Chimaera • GRIMM Gent

Copenhagen’s death metal protagonist Phrenelith presents a skull-crushing piece of death metal on their sophomore ‘Chimaera‘. A strong lineup comprising of renowned musicians such as Simon Daniel Larsen (lead guitars, acoustic guitars and vocals), D. Torturdød (guitar and vocals), Jakob (bass guitar) and Tuna (drums) unfolds an old-school tradition in the Danish trademark. Four years since the outstanding debut ‘Desolate Endscape‘ the band has turned even darker and more savage as they blend fine elements. Once again the mastered compositions thrust forth brutal death metal riffs and borborygmus guttural growls. Serving as its mythic album cover, the gloomy oil painting by the late Timo Ketolav evokes otherworldly creatures from the Netherworlds.

The chilling acoustic intro of the seven minute spanning opening track ‘Awakening the Titans‘ quickly transitions into a punishing assault of chunky riffs and battering drums. Pulverizing blast beats then meld into a harsh tempo and the gutturals will make you confront your own demons. The guitars set the tremolos to make the song seem unworldly, bringing the tempo to utter speed and the vocals like the rasping of a leviathan freed from his rusted shackles. Mighty riffs and lead guitars unleash powerful currents in which the drums bludgeon their way through the dense heaviness. Even though the guitar would strike forcefully the ferocious arsenal of the quartet, it possesses your soul across the time length of thirty-one minutes. The array of talent is all honed and the musical cohesiveness is near perfection.

The guitars offer colossal chunks of cavernous riffs. The quartet showcases superb abilities and the grinding drums could crush mountains to shards, with the chord laden hooks perfectly enhancing the song through eerie melodies. ‘Chimaerian Offspring – Part I‘ opens with a fast blasting tempo of battering drums highlighting this track with pulverizing beats. Venom spewing growls and guitars fully equipped with boisterous tremolos churn out a horrifying atmosphere while the guttural effects of Simon Daniel echo eerily. Continuing to march onwards, the drums plod through fast passages. The remaining portion of the track is fixated at heavy mid-tempo sections and the vocals are mostly grunts, emitting low guttural growls.

Phrenelith takes the old school embodiment of the Finnish and American death metal bands like Convulse and Incantation. The following track ‘Phlegethon‘ offers something ancient, yet otherworldly. It begins with a cold acoustic guitar soundscape where the thick guitars add layers of riffs as the crushing double bass dominates the tempo. Bringing their composition to a perfectly balanced instrumentation shows a refined demeanor from the riffing technique that invokes a sinister atmosphere. This slow mid-tempo track, which is mainly instrumental, sets out a dark, pensive mood.

Among the fastest tracks is ‘Gorgonhead‘ which delivers a skull-crushing piece of raw death metal. The loud, energetic tempo unfolds alien-esque like growls, abrasive tremolos and grinding blast beats that are enough to reduce you to ashes! Phrenelith managed to craft visceral material that sounds quite different from the debut album. On ‘Chimaera‘ the elements of death-doom metal are replaced by grisly and filthy idioms such as tremolos and pummeling percussion. Within the solid framework, the biggest change comes from the incomprehensible, low, guttural growls while the churning guitars sound abrasive and down-tuned. The pummeling barbarity of drummer Tuna rampages through the fast-paced sections where the songs deliver chunks of hefty riffs. ‘Kykytos‘, one of the shortest tracks on the album, metamorphoses into a slower mid-tempo, where the corrosive effect of the guitars merges with the trudging drums. ‘Χίμαιρα’, which translates to ‘Chimera’, serves as a perfect interlude for the album. The atmosphere here imbues spellbinding texture to this short intermezzo. Overall ‘Chimaera‘ is a morose death metal album. The sonic palette presents dark abyssal riffs and they’re undeniably rooted in the fundamental sound of cavernous death metal.

The songwriting is entrenched in the intellectual skills of these shrewd Danes and with their latest accomplishment, Phrenelith has transformed into an inspiring institution for contemporary bands. ‘Chimaera‘ is filled with these grinding sections and quite possibly the seven minutes closure ‘Chimaerian Offspring – Part II‘ has some of the fastest passages, combining low pitched growls with a galvanizing percussion that moves through different tempos.

Thick layers of dense guitars chugging along the vicious tremolo sections add a gloomy texture. Whereas the churning effect of the guitars and double bass are gripping, they simultaneously cleave through the tempo. The ebb and flow pattern of the acoustic guitar swells with the flow of the music. Phrenelith’s sophomore is a pure manifestation of abysmal death metal. This comes highly recommended for fans of Dead Congregation, Immolation, and Incantation.