In both 2021 and 2020 we hosted premieres of music from albums by Ominous Scriptures from Minsk, Belarus. Now they’ve got a third full-length headed for release on January 27th via Willowtip Records, and we’re damned happy to support it with yet another premiere.
The name of this new full-length is Rituals of Mass Self-Ignition, and what an outrageously fine title that is, but no less outrageously fine than the monstrously hellish cover art that Jon Zig created for it. One song from the album has already debuted, and the one we’re bringing today is the title track.
That first song, “Demonic Totem I Am“, is in keeping with Ominous Scripture‘s well-established proclivities: It’s a brutal monster — and a thoroughly maniacal one. The drumming is obliterating, and the insectile riffing in the initial attack is nuts.
The real bludgeoning begins after that opening paroxysm, and then back and forth they go, erupting in further fretwork seizures and engaging in frequent bouts of jackhammering thuggery. Even in the midst of the beatings, the lead guitar squirms like a fire-worm. It’s all viciously nasty, and it’s all exhilarating.
If you expect any mercy from the title track after that last assault, you’ll get none. But of course, mercy isn’t what you’re after anyway, else why would you be here?
To be brutally honest (which is the only kind of honest we know around here), a lot of what’s classified as brutal death metal tends to merge together into an almost indistinguishable mass. But there aren’t many bands in the genre that are as capable as Ominous Scriptures at cutting loose in firestorms of intricate, high-speed technicality, and that’s evident in this title track.
For sure, the song delivers macabre guttural roars and plenty of swift battering-ram blows and machine-gun snare-fire, but the high-toned fretwork is truly berserk, and the band switch up the drumming and riffing patterns with surgical precision, while segmenting the chaotic frenzies with those punishing percussive strikes — and throwing in a truly freakish burst of shrill soloing.
In a nutshell, this title song is absolutely ferocious and incendiary (as its name foretells), but it’s a dazzling head-spinner too.
As noted, Rituals Of Mass Self-Ignition is set for release on January 27, 2023, and Willowtip is taking orders for it now, in CD, LP vinyl, and digital formats.
PRE-ORDER:
Willowtip ► https://bit.ly/rituals-willowtip
Bandcamp ► https://bit.ly/rituals-bandcamp
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