Luminous Vault - Charismata - 12

Labels: Profound Lore
Review by: Alex Deller

Dark, idiosyncratic, chasm-born black/death metal featuring one member of the excellent Artificial Brain. While the blackened elements are undeniable, it’s the mechanical surge-and-pull of Godflesh that appears to be the main driver here. From inexorable thrusts and dour synth passages a vast obsidian structure is built, around which tremolo-picked guitar lines flash like jagged forks of lightning. The vibe and outlook of bands like Thantifaxath and Altar Of Plagues serve as suitable indicators, and while there might only be four tracks to grapple with there’s enough substance to suggest they might contain a whole dead galaxy’s worth of suffering between them.