As you gaze upon the nightmarish cover art for the Javanese band Vultures‘ debut EP, you can understand the title they chose for the record: Divine Retribution Unleashed. But then also consider what horrors might await if those hideous beings became your companions in dreams, crouched upon your chest during an… eternal sleep.
“Eternal Sleep” is indeed the name of the song we’re premiering today from Divine Retribution Unleashed in advance of the EP’s joint release in different formats on July 15th by the multi-national triumvirate of Death in Pieces, Onyx Stone Blood Records, and Oldskull Production.
It’s one of 6 songs on the EP, all of them connected to each other to form a single storyline, with lyrics and events drawn from the Qur’an to narrate subjects such as “Pharaoh and Moses, war, death, aftermath, and doomsday”. Or, to put it differently, the narrative represents (in the band’s words) “a reminder of the destruction that has occurred in the past, as well as the destruction that will occur in the future, which is just a matter of time”.
Photo by by Rafli Atmaja
As for the music, it’s described as a combination of old school and new-generation death metal, drawing influence from such bands as Bolt Thrower, Frozen Soul, Kommand, “and other HM-2 maniacs”.
Vultures is a very new band, having formed in early 2023, but they don’t sound like beginners, as you’ll discover from “Eternal Sleep“.
The riffing across the channels is morbid and macabre, tuned to skull-scouring tones that writhe like feeding worms, slash like blood-crusted blades, and pulsate like the imaginings of a demented mind. Down below, an enormous bass throbs like some heaving subterranean leviathan, and the drums thunder, scamper like a bounding punk, and crack like rifle fire. The vocals are also truly spine-tingling, echoing as if expelling their monstrously ravenous proclamations from some plummeting well of souls.
The song is also a powerhouse headbanger, jabbing and jolting with muscle-moving grooves, but it also convulses in displays of warlike violence, and at its crescendo you’ll encounter a melodically exotic guitar solo that swirls and spirals high.
It’s all damned vicious, damned demonic, and damned infectious, a pulverizing bone-breaker and high-octane nightmare fuel all at once.
Divine Retribution Unleashed will be released in 2 formats by the 3 labels identified above: Merchandise and cassette tapes for the Southeast Asian market will be handled by Onyx Stone Blood Records (Tulungagung, Indonesia), cassette tapes for the European market by Oldskull Production (Hungary), and CDs by Death in Pieces (Mexico).
We’ll also share these further details we’ve been provided:
This EP is a collaborative work created by friends who have always supported and surrounded Vultures. Drums and vocals were recorded at Siranda Studio. Guitars and bass were recorded at Inside the Whale Lab (@insidethewhale.labs). Drums were played by Romadhon Pungkas (@romadown). The piano and violin on “An Ode to Death and Destruction” were arranged and played by Dyah Ayu Larasati (@larxsati).
Mixing and mastering were done by Irvan Naba (@irvnfdhl_) from Inside the Whale Lab. The artwork and layout were done by Wisnu Aji (@bloodthrower_).
PRE-ORDER:
https://deathinpiecesrecs.bigcartel.com/product/vultures-divine-retribution-unleashed-cd
https://onyxstoneblood.bandcamp.com
https://old-skull-productions.soldigo.com
FOLLOW VULTURES:
https://www.instagram.com/vulturesdeath/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSKGIwGaAmd0RJW5n9DIIyQ/videos
https://vulturesdeath.bandcamp.com