Voreus – The Proclamation [EP, 2020]

I have to admit, while throughout my listening experience with extreme music, I was never a fan of low end sounding Black/Death Metal (some call it War Metal) until early last year. Now with a renewed interest, I find the likes of Blasphemy, Revenge and Adversarial to be very interesting to listen to. Enter Voreus, a Black/Death Metal unit from Germany with their debut EP The Proclamation. It was independently released in 2018 but now re-released by Sentient Ruin Laboratories.

The Proclamation is a sick and twisted Black/Death Metal release with its rumbling guitars and ritual-like atmosphere. Despite its 23 minutes playtime, I find it enough to send me cowering in fear (in my defense, I was listening at night time). The opening track Trisagion is a hair-raising ritualistic chants in unidentified language with almost throat singing-like vocals in the background. Immediately the second track kicks in with bludgeons of Black/Death Metal riffs akin to Blasphemy and Adversarial. I have to hand it to the vocal works; monstrous yelling that rains down hellfire to tormented souls below is the best comparison I can find. But seriously, it’s devastating when combined with lethal dose of guitars and thunderous drumming. The Proclamation is all about crushing souls, so don’t expect a shred of melodies anywhere in the tracks.

I like the overall production quality. For a Black/Death Metal release, this is a decent (but crushing) release with audible instruments, not crisp clear, but audible enough to discern the chords and hits. With its massive, cavernous sound, it’s like listening to volcano erupting hellfire and brimstone, killing everything instantly. Its powerful musicianship with right amount of creepy atmosphere should be enough reason for you to check out these German Black/Death Metallers. 

The Proclamation is now available in cassette, vinyl, and digital download.

FFO: Teitanblood, Temple Nightside, Vassafor