Artwork by: Dr. Winter
Style: Dissonant death metal, technical death metal (harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Ulcerate, Artificial Brain, Gorguts
Country: Austria
Release date: 28 March 2025
“Oh, how I crave a sweet, aching melody. Pinch up the atmosphere with a tinge of sadness and let that melancholy wash over me. Give me an emotive, borderline melodramatic singer who croons and trauma dumps all over me because only that pain, that longing, exhibits the emotions that matter. Give me warmth in the darkness to escape the cold of my mental state and bring forth catharsis to my sorrows.”
“Sir, this is a Dissodeath’s.”
“…right. I was well aware of that, thank you. Would you perhaps happen to have anything with strong melodies, and an atmosphere I can get lost in?”
“Err… we have dissonance, sir.”
“Yes, yes, of course. Well…”
Glances at the menu.
“I would like one large serving of Pillars of Cacophony, please. What’s the worst that could happen?”
“Right away, sir.”
Chuckles, faintly. “I’m in danger, aren’t I?”
Such a conversation may or may not reflect the process of me blindly claiming Paralipomena barely two minutes into the album. See, I am a melody guy. I want emotion, atmosphere, and vulnerability in my music. In a way, Pillars of Cacophony convey all of these things, but let’s just say that they do so in a more…visceral manner than what I tend to go for. From the get-go, Paralipomena melts your face off with stanky tech riffs, deep guttural vocals, and proggy drumming, all while sections of dissonance and strangely melodic harmonies permeate the songwriting. The record is versatile, too, showing elements of angular tech thrash, thick, slowed down riffs redolent of 90s death doom, and hypnotizing tremolos with a black metal tinge interspersed for atmosphere on top of the usual dissonance. Make no mistake though: pummeling your senses into mush is by far Pillars of Cacophony’s highest priority, and my weaksauce melody-seeking ass was not made for this level of spanking.
Writing about a genre you are unfamiliar with can be a difficult task, but certain things like production quality and structural cohesion are more universal. Paralipomena is fairly old school in sound with a dirty, slightly muffled lower end, fuzzy atmosphere, and organic guitar and drum tones, but it also maintains the clarity and polish of a modern production, which is especially poignant when the dissonant and/or black metal aspects come to the forefront. Some of the heavier, chugging parts also have a tasteful mechanical aspect, making them as heavy as possible without compromising on the cavernous old school vibe—I even noticed some pick scrapes! All things considered, the resulting soundscape is surprisingly light on the ears for how chaotic and vile the music can be.
But production is not the only component which makes Paralipomena so digestible: its pacing is also done quite well. Pillars of Cacophony will regularly drop the intensity completely for quiet, minimalist sections which relish in dissonance and, occasionally, melody. Sadly, these sections rarely provide sufficient musical nourishment—see, for example, the disappointingly underdeveloped Pink Floyd homage in “Mitosis” with a minimalist guitar solo that goes nowhere. But on the bright side, the mental and emotional cool down they provide from the onslaught is extremely welcome. This is much in contrast to a band like First Fragment, whose technical and emotional maximalism extends down to the melodic breaks, making even a masterfully performed album like Gloire Éternelle an exhausting listen.
Cliff jumps in intensity aside, however, Paralipomena also shines in its frequent tempo shifts, keeping the listener engaged with cool transitions between different modes of neck breaking, thus allowing the band to smoothly incorporate all the different death metal flavors into their writing. In particular, Pillars of Cacophony do exceedingly well in releasing tension through slowing down the tempo for either massive, doomy riffs (“4 Degree Celsius”, “Retina”) or very deliberate, technical arrangements (“Cachexia”, “Landscapes of Permanence”), but are also capable of sharp intensity spikes or maintaining high momentum despite slowing down a tad. The pummeling did tire me out near the end, but for a good 80% of the album I was having a being blasted.
Having just finished my Paralipomena meal, I sit at my table in silence, hazily processing all the madness my taste buds were exposed to these past forty-odd minutes. As I try to figure out how on earth I do not feel the need to puke, but instead experience an estranging form of contentment, that same waiter who took my order approaches me.
“So, how was your meal, sir?”
“It was…I survived—err, satisfactory in ways I had not anticipated.”
“Glad to hear that, sir. Would you like to order anything else?”
Chuckles, somewhat painfully.
“No, thank you—perhaps another time. I would like the check, please.”
With slightly contorted insides, I pay my bill and do my best not to stumble as I exit the restaurant. In the warm embrace of the afternoon sun, I make my way over to the local park and crash on the nearest bench. I open my phone and take a look at our spreadsheet to see what’s available for my next review, but quickly realize that I first really, really need to listen to some Adele to cool myself off again. What a day.
Recommended tracks: Of Plagues and Fibrils, Cachexia, The Discord
You may also like: Convulsing, Baring Teeth, Heaving Earth, Replicant, Anachronism
Final verdict: 7/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram | Metal-Archives
Label: Independent
Pillars of Cacophony is:
– Dominik (vocals, all instruments)
0 Comments