By: Peter Morsellino
Album Type: Full Length
Album Type: Full Length
“Vdelygmia” CS//CD//DD track listing:
1). The Ingester
2). Different Shepherd Same Sheep
3). Grudge
4). Theocracyst
5). Burden
6). Let Them Crawl
7). Skullcrush
8). Vothrodoxia
9). Vaptizetai O Doulos
The Review:
With their first full length album, “Vdelygmia”, Edinburgh’s Chestcrush set out to stake a claim to the throne of the Blackened Death Metal world. Meaning abomination, filth, or repulsion, “Vdelygmia” is the perfect title to describe what it is the listener is about to hear.
Chestcrush come out the gate strong. A very creepy ambient introductory track gives way to the bludgeoning punishment of proper opener, “Different Shepherd, Same Sheep”. This track provides a solid thesis for the album, acting as an overture towards what is to come. We are presented with an incredibly heavy sound, combining elements of Death Metal with Black Metal and Grindcore. Tempos shift from a sludgy grind to passages of blistering speed with ease. A strong sense of dread is present throughout each track, creating an unsettling atmosphere that pairs perfectly with the darkness of Chestcrush’s lyrical themes.
Other stand out tracks include “Theocracyst”, with its slowly picked introduction lulling listeners to a false sense of security before beating them over the skull with the pounding rhythms that the young band will certainly become known for. “Let Them Crawl” is a positively evil sounding track, that I am sure could summon the devil himself with its swirling dynamics and crushing grooves.
Chestcrush presents its own unique brand of Death Metal to listeners at the breakneck speeds that are to be expected from the genre, but that is not that the sound is without heart. Each track brings together a range of emotion, preventing the songs from falling into the cold trappings of soulless blast beats and guitar soloing. Each note is presented with purpose here, creating a musical experience that will last long after the first listen.
“Vdelygmia” is not an album for the faint of heart. This falls securely into the range of music that can peel the paint off of walls. It can crush skulls (and chests, I suppose,) and lay waste to the surroundings of your sound system. But if pounding rhythms and searing leads are what you are looking for, then you will not want to sleep on Chestcrush. Give it a listen.
“Vdelygmia” is available HERE
