ALBUM REVIEW: Encased in Iron – Bible Black Tyrant
Two-piece doom outfit BIBLE BLACK TYRANT release their second album, Encased in Iron. Aaron D.C. Edge and Tyler Smith proved on their previous record that this band had some of the filthiest noise doom, and this sophomore effort appears to be no exception to the reputation the guys have acquired.
Firstly, A Snowflake of Death’s Denial blasts in with utter menace and malcontent in its very heart. Bending strings, disconnected, towering tones and marching rhythms batter your ears around for fun, a blistering opening that revels in the might of itself. Vocals of pure evil, guttural, sickeningly preformed deftly pull you in. By the end of this track, you’ll hungry for more and aching under the weight of what’s being brought forth.
An unusually synthy tone warms up the next onslaught in the form of Valorous, that chops between dirty riffs and nasty, basslines that all growl with real malice. The entire track itself if a tasty outing into the most deliciously heavy kind of doom and it can’t be overstated that the bass is something else, utterly barbaric. The production on this record is completely excellent, everything is compressed and crushing without loosing any of the demonic dynamics that are on display, things end on a strangely keys-heavy melody that makes it well worth going back to find more of it in the mix.
A heavy fade in of symbols and droning strings gives a moment of anticipation for Panic Inducer, a much more experimental track that weighs in on droning and pure outraged screams. It’s demonic to the next level, barely music at all, more a soundtrack to a truly haunting nightmare world. Battering, brutal and unforgiving are some of the words best used to describe Panic Inducer, as it’s knowing, burning edge that leaves notes lingering for such a time that you’re desperate for the next gnarly boom, just to kill the anticipation; Its practically anxiety inducing, and for that, it truly lives up to its name.
Infinite Stages of Grief echoes in, somewhere between a war horn and an alien alert, unfamiliar and unwelcome, before once again hitting with a stonking riff that bleeds out more and more melodic richness with every listen. It’s full of wicked little moments that keep the overall texture of this record completely fresh and yet in keeping with the general tone of what BIBLE BLACK TYRANT can create. At three minutes, it’s the shortest track on this album, but it compresses all the waking terror of previous tracks down to a very uncomfortable little moment you’ll want to revisit again and again.
Final track Sickening Thrum comes all too soon, but doesn’t give up any of Encased in Iron’s clobbering attitude because it’s the final throw down. Rather, it viciously assaults the ears with it’s screaming vocals that really do a terrific job of really adding a demonic edge to the horror instilled by the pummelling music. The torture the string go through, being put through their paces with every bend, blast and ripping riff, is really representative of the listeners strife, but by hell is it a battering worth taking.
Encased in Iron is an album that really enjoys it’s time relentlessly putting you through your paces, that delights in making the most aggressive sounds imaginable, with plenty of surreal sounds and ideas that keep this savage album fresh. Those who revel in utterly dirty riffs and enormous sounds that threaten as much as they entice, will find themselves in love with BIBLE BLACK TYRANT.
Rating: 8/10
Encased in Iron is out now via Argonauta Records.
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