Vacivus – Annihilism (Profound Lore Records. 2019).

Vacivus – Annihilism (Profound Lore Records. 2019).

The tone of this monstrous album is set right from the beginning with the intro track Post Templum, an eerie instrumental number that leads perfectly into the beginning of the first song proper, Of Ruinous Essence. The introduction sounds like something from a classic horror movie score, brimming with malevolence and trepidation through a simple melody on piano and a clever use of synths that leads effortlessly into the intro for Of Ruinous Essence. After this demonic intro, the first song, Of Ruinous Essence, comes bursting forth from the Abyss like a raging horde of monstrosities from beyond the conceptualisation of mankind. A whirlwind of relentless drumming and riffs assault the senses, possessed by evil and inhuman rage, where you will feel yourself so consumed by the ruinous powers that you will fail to notice that the song is around six minutes. The following song, Terminus, is crushing, with an earth-shatteringly heavy mid-paced section around the 01:45 mark. Vacivus have proven themselves as masters of their craft beforehand, and this album is a fitting sequel to the 2017 album Temple of the Abyss. Much like the preceding album, you can feel yourself being torn apart by the forces of Chaos whilst the expertly crafted, Stygian black riffs consume your very being and tear you apart. The spirit of cosmic dissolution permeates the album, and even the more melodic segments, such as that around the 03:00 mark in the song Terminus, possess the mysterious, somewhat indescribable feeling of something transcendental. The album flows perfectly together, enabled by the masterful use of samples between songs, such as the swarm of flying insects between Of Ruinous Essence and Terminus, or the use of brilliant outros, such as that between In Fine Dierum and the title track Annihilism. The album was mastered by Dan Lowndes of Resonance Sound Studio, and it is perfect. For those who have fallen in love with Vacivus, this is a must buy album that you have likely already gotten and are currently spinning on repeat. For those who have not yet heard Vacivus and love morbid old-school Death Metal, this will be one of your top albums of 2019. A fantastic, terrifying return to the inhuman, Lovecraftian realms from whence this abomination was borne. 9/10.