"Endless Asphyxiating Gloom" by Sabbatory

I hope I didn't just bring you down there. This album is rather gloomily titled, but it's death metal and it is what it is. This is the debut effort from the quartet, Sabbatory.

It is a widely held belief that the location of a band will add to its air, its msytique, and even its sound. Consider Black Sabbath came from the poor industrial town of Birmingham, England. Tony Iommi even lost a finger in an industrial accident.

The biggest disconnect between location and music, naturally, is Tampa, Florida, but we're going to let that ride.

Sabbatory is not from a sunny beach town. They are not from an affluent metropolitan area. They are from Winnipeg, Man. If there ever was a cold, metal heart of Canada, Winnipeg would be it. The cold is so unbearable there that during the winter, the people walk in underground tunnels. The cold is beyond oppressive...it's asphyxiating there.

The seem to be breathing.

What's immediately noticeable is the sound of the album. It feels brittle. Not like Metallica's ...And Justice For All or Carcass's Heartwork, but like the winter. The cold is palpable in the sound of the instruments.

The drums have been placed in the front and center of the mix which creates some interesting sounds when the drummer, instead of blast beating, does running beats. It gives the music a shuffle to it.

This is especially noticeable when the guitars only play with the snare drum. The fronted drum sound has long been a convention of the American death metal sound, but Sabbatory have found a way to stick with convention without being cliche.

The vocals are pure death metal, but understandable and sound like something more than just a person throwing up their own blood.

Along with the requisite breakdowns, there are several tempo changes, and lead breaks. The guitar solos are reminiscent of Jimmy Page's style, though sped up significantly. The sound even brought to mind, Jimmy's Telecaster.

All in all this could be the best 33 minutes you spend with a death metal record in the month of June. You should definitely take the opportunity.

Release: 5/27/14
Genre: Metal, Death Metal
Label: Unspeakable Axe Records
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