Written and recorded in musical solitude, may this brief, unholy trinity of aural enchantments fall upon welcome ears
Written, recorded, mixed, mastered by: Kendrick Lemke
Logo: Daniel Hermosilla | Nox Fragor Artworks
Frame: Thaumaturge Artworks
Album layout: Kendrick Lemke
I’ve never heard anything quite like Festering Apparition, and that rules. Pedestal for Leviathan is an unholy amalgamation of symphonic “purple castle” black metal and brutal death—it shouldn’t work but it absolutely does—and this EP’s 10 minutes are unbelievably promising.
On paper, brutal death metal and symphonic black metal shouldn’t work. Somehow, Pedestal For Leviathan pulls it off. The EP opens with cheeseball keys that would fit on an early Cradle of Filth album but then brutalizes your ears a minute later. Think what it would sound like if Fleshgod Apocalypse was on New Standard Elite and you’re starting to get it.
“Siphoning of the Liege” sets the tone with its organ intro before the tremolos and blast beats kick in. Then comes “Beast Rune,” which is the most straightforward black-metal song, cutting to the chase from the get-go and for nearly three unrelenting minutes. Similarly, “Nightshade Familiar” starts fast and furious but evolves into a more epic track with some dungeon synth vibes throughout.
Stellar debut ... It strikes a perfect balance between muscular heft and punchy songwriting ... I'm a little shocked that it hasn't received a little more acclaim from the underground. The riffs are relentlessly hooky, and despite the clear emphasis on sheer heaviness--"Nightshade Familiar in particular is an absolute goddamn bruiser--there's a very consistent atmospheric patina layered thickly over the project. Gothic castles and impenetrable cobwebs and demonic summoning circles type shit.
