There was a dark time in the 80s when death metal was unknown to the masses, a mere potentiality. The early output from Possessed and Hellhammer/Celtic Frost helped define its borders, and the ripping intensity of Dark Angel and Slayer filled them with anger and aggression. All these disparate elements pissing in the same ghastly gene pool would eventually birth the abomination we all know and love, which would be spearheaded by Death and pushed outward into progressive vistas. That strange journey from tortured birth to shambling early adulthood is captured quite quaintly on the debut full-length Lost in an Eternal Silence by Chile’s Blood Oath. With a sound rooted firmly in the days of death metal’s wobbly youth, these brash goons capture the weirdness and wonder of the time when the style was new and mutating with alarming speed. If you can imagine an album capturing the transition of Death from low-fi cavemen into something more unpredictable, merged with the proggy speed wonk of Sadus and the primitive brutishness of early Sepultura, you’re on the right path. And what a path it is!
In a nutshell, this album is a wild ride and a ton of insane fun, especially for someone who grew up in the early days ov death. The Blood Oath sound borrows elements from so many beloved, classic acts that it’s impossible to identify them all. Opener “Beyond the Dimensional Gates” sounds like Seven Churches era Possessed clashing with Leprosy days Death and that’s an insta-win. It’s a righteous tune full of jagged, fast-evolving riffs and sudden, unexpected shifts. The sounds of later acts infect the proceedings too, with the chaotic riffery of The Chasm and the weirdness of Horrendous rising from the primordial ooze to tentacle slap you in the gob. The hyperactive, unruly fun continues on winning cuts like the frantic “Sanctuary of Souls” which features a guitar segment recalling the epic midsection gallop of Death’s “Altering the Future.” “Fateful Existence” is a thrash-fueled wonder, taking the best elements of The Chasm and soaking them in putrid 80s atmospheres. The riffs here will drill into your brain and lay eggs and you won’t even care.
Though the quality level remains high across Lost in an Eternal Silence, Blood Oath can and do wander too deep into the prog pond at times. “The Sacrifice” is all over the place, sounding like a less polished version of Death taking baby steps into deep technical waters. It still mostly works and there are some great moments but it can get shakey too. “Singularity” does much the same thing but a bit less successfully, though really good segments keep the enterprise aloft. Things refocus from there for a rousing three-song-run to conclude the album in a riotous, thrasherized way, leaving you shaken, stirred, and most importantly, happy and stuffed. The band crosses many rivers and meadows over the album’s rambling 40 minutes, but the way they anchor everything so deeply in early death metal makes their proggy inclinations more accessible, closer to The Chasm than Atheist. This is first and foremost a classic death album with the progressive element serving as an unusual spice (turmeric maybe). The production is beautifully retro, sounding right out of 1987-88. The guitars have that old school death tone and the popping, bubbling bass cuts through the mayhem loudly and sharply as the drums beat you into comatic assdust.
I’m impressed by everyone involved here. The guitar work by Ignacio Canales and Ignacio Riveros is out of the world crazy. They shred, thrash, crunch, and noodle their way through every conceivable influence and idea in sort order and make the whole experience entertaining rather than confusing and tedious. A lot of these riffs really stick and will keep cycling in your head long after you walk away. Matías Canales’s basswork is equally impressive, thudding, popping, and bleating along with the chaotic riffage. There’s a strong Steve DiGiorgio vibe to his performance that Sadus/Death fans will appreciate. There’s a funky looseness and rawness to the band’s antics that make the material feel unhinged, uncontrolled, and highly endearing rather than pretentious and overblown. That’s a narrow landing strip to hit, but they nail it.
I only gave Lost in an Eternal Silence a spin because of a recommendation in the AMG comments, and I’m very glad I did. Blood Oath are an exciting, adventurous act taking their love of OSDM into wild, weird places and it’s tough to hear this stuff and not end up grinning like an idiot. There’s big potential here and I’m really interested to see what comes next. Get this in your ears and experience the past mutating into an altered future.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Caligari Records
Websites: bloodoath.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/bloodoathchile
Releases Worldwide: September 15th, 2023
