ALBUM REVIEW: Choir of Babel – Ruin Lust

New York’s RUIN LUST may just be on the cusp of breaking out and taking the extreme metal underground by storm. Formed all the way back in 2011, the band have, since the release of their debut demo, gone on the carve out a small, yet notable, reputation for producing a ferocious brand of gnarly, chaotic blackened death metal, a sound and style that the band has developed over the course of two full length albums, their self titled debut and last years Sacrifice. Their latest, third album, Choir of Babel, comes little over a year since the release of its predecessor, and stands as the bands most impressive and aggressive output to date.

The Choir of Babel is a strong opener, with a mid-paced a primal feel to it. The drums and the guitar set a steady, foreboding tempo and once the opening motif gives way to the main part of the song RUIN LUST descend into a chaotic flurry of frenetic energetic musicianship. Prison of Sentient Horror amplifies the more savage elements of the opener. This frenzied approach to the music serves the song well, and it has a very distinct sound few would even hope to be able to imitate. At points it’s genuinely unpredictable, with the guitar jumping from one riff to the next without sacrificing any of this songs momentum or intensity.

Worm is a huge slab of unyielding aggression that absolutely floors the listener. Brutal, speed driven guitars and cacophonous, primal drumming carry the track, and here RUIN LUST deliver some of the densest and most frenzied vocals on the whole record. There’s a few subtle lead guitar flourishes in here that break up the savagery somewhat, and add a slight, technical edge to the proceedings, providing another layer to Choir of Babel‘s sound.

Bestial Magnetism has a surprisingly vast sound, built upon massive, grating chords that craft an impenetrable wall of noise. It quickly morphs into a groove-laden and feral death metal track with some exceptional vocals and a murky, raw tone giving this a fierce and punishing sound from start to finish. It’s a far slower song, for the most part, barring a few demented, blistering fast moments that are peppered throughout this song, but the slower pace allows the music to really come to the fore and it’s much easier to appreciate all the elements that went into this song, making this a very impressive and powerful affair.

Rite of Binding really sees the vocals take centre stage, with a more diverse range being displayed here than at any point on the album. The fact that, at certain points, the guitars are more subdued, helps elevate the vocals no end. This isn’t to say that the guitars don’t have their moment to shine; there’s plenty of frenetic riffing and scatter-brained lead hooks thrown into the mix for good measure, and there are sections where the pace grinds to a snails pace that gives the guitars a heavier and more oppressive sound that works extremely well. It’s an amazing closing track that ebbs and flows, bringing the album to a conclusion on a very high note.

Choir of Babel is an impressively monstrous album from start to finish. Lean and focused, while still allowing RUIN LUST plenty of space to craft some brilliant music, this is a death metal masterclass. This is one of the more memorable and visceral death metal albums to see the light of day thus far this year, and will no doubt see RUIN LUST gain some well deserved underground notoriety within not only the US, but the international scene as well.

Rating: 9/10

Choir of Babel is out now via 20 Buck Spin.