Mix-102-journal-1

Couple of new releases of a more complex and shock inducing nature in the ever progressive realm of contemporary death metal, by the likes of Atarage and Ellorsith which leads me to a special mention. Already the 10th anniversary of a stelar piece of cavernous and utterly contagious death metal: Abyssal’s ‘Novit Enim Dominus Qui Sunt Eius’. The mysterious three members of this English band would return with a couple of LP’s and splits (the latest one with Ellorsith, also featured in this mix) but this stands high above the rest as my favourite. Its mix of ambient, dark, cavernous and downright epic death metal was, at the time of release, reminiscent of Portal and Impetuous Ritual, but 10 years on, it remains a solid marker in the evolution of the band and arguably one of their finest moments.