Azath – Through a Warren of Shadow

Have you ever heard the machine gun style of drumming? Have you ever had the experience by being threatened by the music you’re listening to? Have you ever been confused by the chords a band plays? Have you ever felt that the band is kind of playing out of tempo, but still the tempo makes sense?

The answer to all these questions are in Azath “Through a Warren of Shadow” whose drumming really sounds like a machine gun. I confess I hardly ever heard a drumming like this out of a Grindcore or early Black Metal bands. Never from a Death Metal band. I’d say that if you are in the mood for a raw and unpolished album here is the anwer to your prayers – ops, did I just say prayers? Sorry for that. But on second thought, unpolished doesn’t express with precision what Azath do here. The fact is that many tracks of “Through a Warren of Shadow” sound unpolished and sometimes sound to be out of tempo. And they are somewhat indeed, but it’s intentional. Some Death Metal bands learned from free jazz folds how to use this technique of using kind out of tempo chords just arise the chaotic atmosphere in the song. This album is that thing that you thing it is, but it’s just the opposite. A band has to be really tight to play like this. Even the guitar tone that is too opaque and fuzzy contributes to create an even bigger atmosphere of chaos. Not to mention the out-of-hell unhuman vocals. And my, my, how can a drummer play that fast? Check it out in “Shifiting Forms.” I wouldn’t believe if I hadn’t heard it.

One more to Azath; the tracks don’t sound too repetitive as they should be by using all those technoques. The band manages too well to make them sound really different from each other which is a very hard thing to do considering all the chaos of features envolved. “Through a Warren of Shadow” is the first Free Death Metal album that I’ve ever heard. It’s incredible the way the band manages to use all those Free Jazzy techniques to create its own chaotic turmoil in a intentional pandemonium. Praise to the band for that.

“Through a Warren of Shadow” is an out-of-this-world album. Its eleven tracks sound so unearthly that the fan must get ready to listen to them first. A real death match for whom say that loves Metal. Believe me.

Azath “Through a Warren of Shadow” will be released on April 17th via Pulverised Records.

Track Listing:

  1. Into The Charnel
  2. Draconian Impalement
  3. Mortal Sword
  4. Knight of Chains
  5. Through a Warren of Shadow
  6. Pale Light
  7. Worm of Autumn
  8. The Whirlwind
  9. Children of the Dead Seed
  10. Shifting Forms
  11. Dying Echoes

Watch “Knight of Chains” official music video here: