ALBUM REVIEW: Ontological Mysterium – Horrendous
HORRENDOUS are, perhaps, saddled with one of the biggest misnomers in death metal. The Pennsylvanians have spent the better part of almost fifteen years creating music that’s frequently labyrinthine, pushing the boundaries of death metal as far as they can go (and then some), the intent seemingly to always find some new way of expressing themselves and what it means to be HORRENDOUS. Their last album, Idol, was incredibly complex and to call it often challenging was an understatement; seemingly in reaction to that, they’ve made perhaps their most accessible record yet in its follow-up, Ontological Mysterium.
Let’s get this out the way first though – Ontological Mysterium is still very much a HORRENDOUS album and all the hallmarks are very much present and correct. Detours into weird, progressive segments are common, as are bile-spewing vocals that are very much the domain of death metal. Imagine the intense head-fuckery of latter day DEATH and you’re sort of getting there. Ontological Mysterium, though, is in essence a death metal love letter to 80s and 90s traditional, heavy metal. It channels bands like IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST and to an extent MERCYFUL FATE all by way of their own meandering take on extremity.
The Blaze is something of a misnomer, or a slow burn at least, though it does soon engulf the ears with its methodical guitar giving way to duelling leads straight out the power metal playbook. Chrysopoeia (The Archaeology of Dawn) continues with the rampaging speed metal influence; paired with the high screams there’s a particularly blackened thrash flavour to it, though that’s merely one of its many shades. Across seven minutes it pulses, pushes and pulls, the power metal influence shining through once more before it truly descends into the maddening maelstrom of death metal that only HORRENDOUS can conjure.
After such a emphatic opening statement, full of progressive, melodic twists and turns, Ontological Mysterium gets down to really weird business; Neon Leviathan spends its opening seconds with a serpentine, jazz-infused bass riff and off-kilter drums, like a less blackened but equally demented IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT until a trad metal solo rears its head. Preterition Hymn again throws in hymn-like chants and acoustic guitar alongside its expansive extremity, while Cult of Shaad’oah opens in perhaps the most straightforward death metal way so far, at least by HORRENDOUS’ standards (which is to say, practically not at all) before going on a mind-bending trip through galloping riffs and kaleidoscopic solos.
Where HORRENDOUS excel in this fusion of styles is hard to pinpoint, but their grasp of melody is masterful, and they often counterpoint the more batshit moments such as those acid-trip basslines with blistering, hook-drenched guitar solos. The labyrinthine construction of songs eschews a verse/chorus structure for something much more akin to going on an epic journey, a feeling that’s only heightened by the clear love and adoration of classic heavy metal. It’s hard to view Ontological Mysterium as a true death metal album; in fact, it’s hard to view HORRENDOUS as a typical death metal band, but that’s always been the way they like it.
In that sense, Ontological Mysterium is a runaway success; HORRENDOUS have done the seemingly unthinkable yet again in making death metal accessible, despite the fact that not only do they refuse to abide by its tenets, but by traditional structure altogether. Melodies emerge and are subsumed by chaos, distorted voices speak atop dissonant, meandering licks where it seems each member is playing a different song, and time signatures shift like windblown sands. None of this should work but it does. Lavish guitars, bile-spewing vocals, time signatures that would make theoretical mathematicians blush; Ontological Mysterium has all that as well as a confidence and brilliance that simply eclipses most other extreme albums.
Rating: 9/10
Ontological Mysterium is set for release on August 18th via Season Of Mist.
Like HORRENDOUS on Facebook.