Death metal, for all its vast influence, can be a chore. Walls of distortion, thick riffs, and roars all on the same plane of the low and gurgle assault the ears with reckless abandon, and I have long needed breathing room to fully appreciate it. While The Gorilla God Himself prefers it putrid and slimy and the gone-but-unforgotten Kronos prefers it layered and intricate, I prefer a death metal experience that takes me places. Bands like Desolate Shrine, Sulphur Aeon, and Devenial Verdict have comprised the vicious edge of exploration for me. Saskatchewan five-piece Augurium is willing to throw their crusty platter of death metal into the ring. What world can you be taken to?
Augurium is from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, having released 2018’s Unhallowed Ascendance before breaking up and reforming in 2023. Sporting a new lineup alongside veteran guitarists Cejay Carnochan and Logan Barlow, Unearthly Will features the gamut of influences, including those as disparate as Cannibal Corpse, Decrepit Birth, Septicflesh, Lorna Shore, and Belphegor – which, if my math is right, basically embodies most death metal and its various offshoots in one fell swoop. While the flesh-eating riffs comprise the meat, Augurium features a nice symphonic dimension, while neat blackened portions are offset by a techy rhythmic complexity and tasteful deathcore teeth. Filtered through an organic DIY ethic and aesthetic, Unearthly Will is a mammoth death metal album, but ultimately a mixed one – largely the fault of riff and synth communication.
Unearthly Will is undeniably vicious. Opener “Inquisition of the Possessed” pulls no punches with an infectious start-stop central riff punctuated by choral ambiance to achieve a sound as grandiose and macabre as its Cthulhuan cover art suggests. This continues well into the other tracks, the symphonics amplifying the pummel in Septicflesh-esque intensity. Riffs range from blazing blackened heat to chunky gargantuan downtuned thuggery, a dichotomy displayed brilliantly throughout the devastating tracks “Phantom Parallax,” “Sanguine,” and “As Above… So Below,” with a hint of deathcore to ensure maximum leveling. Maddening synths pair in a warped sense of reverence in these highlights, the combination channeling the stupid heavy and wildly otherworldly. The blackened title track and closer “Invictus” feature a more organic flow between the Belphegor-esque blastbeats and more sprawling qualities, solo taking advantage of its more appropriate placement in the song’s climax – otherwise a bit of a weak link. The DIY production is remarkably organic, furthermore, the vocals feel more feral and the drums bring a much-needed punch to the palette.
The biggest issue with Augurium is that, although brutality is a given, the quality of tracks varies. It is a mammoth beatdown with everything under the sun but some tracks simply don’t carry the weight of others. For instance, in spite of epic atmospheres, the more meditative rhythms of “Ancient Grimoire” and “Inceptus Mysteria” stand at odds against the overwhelming synths, ultimately directionless or confused. The shifting time signatures and techy rhythms can hinder this progression as well, making transitional passages in “Inquisitions of the Possessed” or “Sanguine” feel sloppy. While the quintet soars in thuggish riffery, the solos are lacking, as they feel anticlimactic in highlights like “Phantom Parallax” and “Sanguine” due to their awkward placement and compared to the colossal quality of the riffs. While Augurium does well balancing cutthroat Septicfleshisms with Lorna Shore crunch, the focus elsewhere leads to a more stagnant sound.
In spite of Augurian’s wild array of death metal influence, their approach is at its best when most straightforward. Tracks like “Inquisition of the Possessed,” “Phantom Parallax,” and “As Above… So Below” are guaranteed to get the head banging, but others don’t carry the same energy or weight, the neckache from stylistic whiplash rather than groove. Unearthly Will draws from a million different death metal-based wells and miraculously maintains a voice of its own – even if that voice is loudest and most commanding when the symphonic overlays and bone-crushing riffs align. It may not take me to another place, but it’s a solid, if imperfect, concussion of a death metal record.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: augurium.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/AuguriumSK
Releases Worldwide: August 25th, 2023
