Review: Ænigmatum – Deconsecrate

Style: Blackened Death Metal (harsh vocals)
Review by: Dan
Country: USA
Release date: 13 August, 2021

The world of blackened death metal has gotten intensely crowded, with hundreds of contenders vying for a limited spotlight. Few of these bands manage to effectively craft a unique musical identity, despite a fairly high average level of quality across the genre. As a critical and voracious listener of music from across the entire heavy spectrum, uniqueness is one of the primary factors in my assessment of any album, so it becomes difficult for me to attribute high ratings to even the most enjoyable albums if I can’t tell them apart from their peers. While Ænigmatum is no particular exception to this observation, the quality of their sophomore full-length Deconsecrate is undeniable.

This may very well be my favorite blackened death metal album in recent memory. From the opening salvo of “Forged From Bedlam” through to the album’s closer, this Portland, OR four-piece makes it clear that they have something to say. Ænigmatum embraces a pragmatic melodicism – to me, reminiscent of Cormorant‘s later work – yet is largely unrelenting in its modernized intensity. Every riff is well-placed, well-written, and engaging. The band is super precise, but with a lively and engaging performance and gorgeous production job. The songs are well-written and full of classic energy but dissodeath-inspired chops. It’s bright and airy without succumbing to the downtuned churning of many of their peers, yet it’s still grimy and heavy as good death metal aught to be. Color me impressed.

The overall sound is not altogether unique – they are, after all, a traditional four-piece death metal band with twin guitars, exuberant bass, and unrelenting drums, like many of their peers. A gritty, lively production job allows the razor-sharp musicianship to flourish and shine, without sacrificing any intensity or dynamics. The vocals are restrained but effective, letting the music breathe while adding some extra oomph where needed. They’re a bit monotonous if they’re your primary focus, but I’d say if you’re listening to this album for the vocals, you’re kind of missing the point. Personally, I’m not a big fan of excessively wordy vocal performances, where an overenthusiastic singer can’t bring himself to let the music go on without him, and so I much prefer compositions like these where there’s plenty of interesting space between vocal passages.

The fantastic dueling guitars often play with ping-pong panning and riff-trading, and occasionally harmonize on some delightful leads. Perhaps even more compelling, however, is the bass that refuses to be buried or left behind. What an absolute joy to behold! The riffs are surprisingly melodic and memorable given the overall vibe and intensity of the songs, perfectly balancing the oft-competing objectives of intensity and melody. And despite this focused songwriting, there are enough devious and intricate layers to keep every passage in motion, and to maintain my interest throughout. The drumming also goes above and beyond simply supporting this momentum and intensity. The drums lead the charge with flair, creativity, and dynamic range from somber toms to blastbeats. It is, after all, a solitary drum fill that introduces the album.

All of this is mostly unremarkable and par for the course on paper, but in execution, these riffs are fucking outstanding. I think the last album that hit this sweet spot for me was VoidCeremony‘s 2020 album, (which, coincidentally, shares a cover artist as well as a record label with Deconsecrate), but I think Ænigmatum have released a substantially more compelling album. It’s also worth mentioning that between these two releases and a handful of others, 20 Buck Spin has been kicking some serious ass over the last year or two.

Deconsecrate is not without flaw, however. I wish there were a bit more dynamics over the course of the album, and that the songs were just a bit more focused, but it’s hard to fault enthusiastic intensity as a stylistic choice. A few proggy risks could also make for a more interesting listen, though I appreciate the stylistic focus throughout the album. Additionally, there’s an odd midpoint interlude that I feel serves little purpose, and the penultimate song drags just a wee bit and comes off as poorly placed, keeping the album from closing on a triumphant high.

There’s an old-school energy and hunger to the performances on Deconsecrate, and the unpredictable songwriting, dense and intricate arrangements, and overall presentation are just superb. The bass playing and drumming are both outstanding. Despite my small nitpicks with album flow and consistency, I’m a huge fan of this release, and can’t wait to hear more from this talented group!

Recommended tracks: Forged From Bedlam; Disenthralled; Larker, Sanguine Phantom
Recommended for fans of: VoidCeremony, Ceremony of Silence, Atvm, Bedsore, Faceless Burial, The Chasm
Final verdict: 8/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page
Label: 20 Buck Spin – Bandcamp | Website | Facebook

Ænigmatum is:
– Kelly McLaughlin (guitar, vocals)
– Pierce Williams (drums)
– Eli Lundgren (guitar)
– Brian Rush (bass)