2024 may very well turn into a new year where abject metal malevolence hits hard all over again. Seems to be a sign of the time with all that upheaval going on in the world around us.
So, here’s to Totengott from – Spain (not Germany). Starting out as a Celtic Frost cover band, they found their very own sound in some weird thrashy, doom-laden Black Metal thing. And it’s a sound that piqued the interest of the folks over at the RMR Review Desk. Which can be good – or bad, depending. And yet, magic spells galore spew forth from the terrible god of the dead. And that may be enough to sway the cranky buggers at the Review Desk over there. Let’s peek Beyond The Veil and find out.
A leopard won’t lose its spots. Totengott still sacrifice to the gawds of blackened thrash and a mix of fairly melodic Black and Death Metal. And it’s still the holy trinity of a thrash lead, a somewhat doomy blackened scorcher, followed by a slower cut of their talent. The weirdness of the long-defunct Celtic Frost still seems to rummage about in the background. And that is a jolly good thing, by the way.
If you remember, their 2019 piece The Abyss endlessly puttered along this Styx of their own making. In contrast, a meatier sound and sustained aggression now found its way into the mix. A darkly ominous soundscape, often imbued with gothically-tainted melancholy. In other words, some of Cradle of Filth‘s fervor and a hint of the freakish storytelling Carach Angren rode in on now became visible. And that kicks it up a few notches.
Beyond The Veil now sports a much heavier look and feel. Interestingly, the speedier thrash sections won’t gripe with the doomier material. Burly vibes of Rotting Christ woven into that slow-marching material of theirs (The Architect) will compete with cathedral soundscapes that roll forth on a syrupy and equally sludgy avalanche of doom that would make current masters proud. Hints of Industrial Metal and Avant-Garde, samples presumably stolen from Dark Wave, ambient passages, and a way better integration of subtle melodics. The ominous and often slightly ritualistic menace and astounding aggression had us pull up the newest grimoire. Luckily, the upper echelons at RMR HR mercifully pulled us back.
And all of the above flows freely with Chou Saavedra‘s doom-death-ish croaks, monologues, and Marija Krstevska‘s haunting chants. The aggressive riffs contrast nicely with the merciless bite of the relentless drum work. And unlike other bands, nobody had the hare-brained idea to yet again instill the pleasures of St. Anger on us. And for that, we salute Totengott.
But there’s more. Beyond the Veil contains some of the snazziest material issued by this band to date. The RMR crew worried muchly about the 13-minute behemoth The Golden Crest. But this massive track turned into a tour-de-force, proof of Totengott‘s musical prowess. A ritualistic piece that somehow sounds like Dracula had an undead hand in the songwriting. You know, the guy from Transylvania. The record contains further goodies, too, such as Sons of the Serpent or – again – The Architect with its haunting airs.
Beyond the Veil indeed is an upgrade over its predecessor. The material is darker and almost gothic in its structure and delivery (Entflamme Mich). The metal is harsh, fresh, and straight in your face. And, as I said before, Celtic Frost’s mighty influence still permeates this record to no end but won’t gripe with the new material on offer. Well-balanced, pvre blackened ferocity with a grimy ritualistic twist, just the way we like it.
But by and large, Totengott finally hit the power switch some and ended with one of their meatiest material to date. An Extreme Metal piece we thoroughly enjoyed. Let’s have some more of that.
Record Rating: 7/10 | Label: Hammerheart Records | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 12 July 2024