PHOBOCOSM - Bringer Of Drought
July 6, 2016, 7 years ago
(Dark Descent)
Two years back, I called Phobocosm “the next great Canuck extreme metal hope” while reviewing their great debut, Deprived. And while that sounds a little hyperbolic, I meant it: this band laid down some seriously moving sludgey death metal on that album. And while it made me feel like I was floating through space, this EP makes me suffocate in the sewers; either way, it’s a hell of a tough slog, and I mean that in the best of ways. The band's Immolation-loving metal of death here hits just as intense as on their debut, each of these four songs going to places bands like Ulcerate or Gorguts go, which is rare: these are not depths that just any DM band can take the listener to.
“Tidal Scourge” is a great example of this, the band utilizing blastbeats to provide atmosphere and a way to really move the listener in a way beyond just sheer brutality, much like Gorguts (and very few others) do. But this isn't totally bookish, as Phobocosm also bring the ugly sludge and heavy doom, this EP really providing a wholly satisfying listening experience, 35 minutes really being a perfect length for music this engaging, demanding, and rewarding.