originally written by Chris McDonald
Initial impressions of Australia’s Denouncement Pyre had me expecting them to fall in line with the war metal sound that has been gaining notable prominence in the underground alongside the movement towards an older, darker death metal style. Glancing at the band’s non-musical qualities, this isn’t an unfair assumption, as the outfit showcases many of the same aesthetic hallmarks of bands like Proclamation, Archgoat, and Black Witchery. I enjoy this style of metal up to a point, but I was pleasantly surprised to find this collective exploring a less-traversed union of black and death metal on Almighty Arcanum, their second full-length recording.
Denouncement Pyre follows a similar template to the aforementioned bands in terms of lyrics and imagery, but the music itself is more dynamic and complex, with focus placed on visceral change-ups and shifts over repetitive, hypnotic aggression. The malicious flair of the riffs feels similar to the hyperspeed style of bands like Antaeus and Katharsis, with sinister chord progressions swooping in and out in intense and dramatic fashion, but there’s less focus on overwhelming velocity and more on compelling twists and turns in the songcraft. The drum performance backs the guitar compositions admirably with a variety of different tempos and techniques, and while a good portion of the material is speedy and blast-driven, some of the more enjoyable moments of the album come when things are pulled back to a groovier pace.
While the mid-range growls of the vocals are mostly standard fare, their placement in the songs can give them an anthemic quality that feels quite appropriate, most notably the deathly chants that close out “He Who Conquers All.” The songs in general feel intelligent in their construction, with a noticeable narrative flow present in the sequencing of different riffs and drum patterns. Some of the slower, hazier melodies are repeated for a little longer than necessary — I wasn’t as enthralled by the lengthy repetition at the end of “An Extension of the Void” as the band apparently thought I should be — but dull moments are few and far between thanks to the balance between variety and continuation that is present in the songwriting.
Further distinguishing this band from other like-minded projects is the technical precision of Almighty Arcanum. It’s tighter, more polished, and, for lack of a better word, more “professional” sounding than many of the other bands populating labels like Hells Headbangers and Nuclear War Now!. The band’s instrumental chops are noteworthy, and they’re given ample space to reach the listener due to the surprisingly clean production. The crisp drum sound and biting guitars succeed in giving the compositions clarity and focus, but I confess that I found the instrumental tones occasionally at odds with the style of music being played. The drums are somewhat lacking in heft, and the vocals sometimes feel buried under the guitars. I think that most listeners will find this more an issue of taste, however, and it’s certainly not about to distract from the high-caliber music being performed.
Denouncement Pyre‘s second album is a formidable entry into today’s crowded black/death hybrid landscape, and deserves to elevate this relatively young band into a broader awareness in the current underground. Their blend of interesting and effective musical qualities with their steadfast aesthetic approach has definitely caught my attention, and I hope to see future releases continue to build upon the outfit’s intriguing blend of sounds and ideas.
