Knuckle-dragging death metal insanity with the odd dose of psychedelia. That is Falling into Damnation in a nutshell. And that hypnotic core is Continuum of Xul’s Crazy Glue, transforming those seemingly disparate influences into something far more uniform than one might otherwise expect.
Though hardly the lengthiest of EPs, there’s a lot to unpack here. Falling into Damnation features a synth-based, minute-long intro, three original songs, and one cover (of Absu’s “A Equinox of Fathomless Disheartment”).
As difficult as it would be to ignore the Morbid Angel influence here – Formulas Fatal to the Flesh, in particular – Continuum of Xul doesn’t translate so much as transfigure. Those trademarks are there, to be sure. Undeniably evil riffs. Appropriately frenetic and impressive drumming (from Giulio Galati of Hideous Divinity). But whereas Formulas’ quirks seem more purely atmospheric and lead guitar-driven, Falling into Damnation’s quirks are less amorphous and more rhythmic.
Devoid of dead space, the EP is dense. The manic pace of “Blasphemous Redemption (Praise the Flame)” demands a committed listener. Even the relatively slow lumber of “Dreaming in the Underworld” feels thick and murky. Falling into Damnation is not background music. But it isn’t impenetrable, either. Riffs will become familiar. Patterns will emerge. And the reward of repeated listens will present itself with time.
More than merely promising, Falling into Damnation delivers now what many listeners no doubt crave in riff-dense, multilayered death metal. Despite the diversity in sound, there’s a constant and hypnotic heaviness to the EP. The only thing missing here is more songs.
