Artist: Spirit Possession
Country: USA
Label: Profound Lore Records
Formats: LP / CD
Year: 2023
Take Black Metal with a strong Heavy Metal riff base that features a cacophony of sliding and tapping guitar notes best known to Black Metal in the criminally underrated Dødheimsgard albums ‘Kronet Til Konge’ and ’Monumental Possession’. Mix it in with a bit of ‘Formulas of Death’ Tribulation and the chaos and crossfire of oohs, ugh and bleghs of Necrovation, add a healthy dose of reverb and of course some whammy solos and there you have it: the chaotic, schizophrenic, and delightfully insane sound of Spirit Possession on ‘Of the Sign…’.
The band, featuring Ulthar, Pandiscordian Necrogenesis and Mastery member S. Peacock and A. Spungin of Vouna, Ormus and Taurus, took three years to finalize their second album after the welcome reception of their self-titled debut. While that first record already had that blend of Black Metal and Heavy Metal base with oohs and schizo guitar riffs it was a slightly more held back and traditional release. On their sophomore record the band just goes all-in with a flurry of ferocious drumbeats, reverb drenched vocal acrobatics and a plethora of creative and adventurous guitar riffs. But while that sound like one big chaotic mess, it’s rather sophisticated. Despite all the frivolous play that happens, song have a direction that continuously lures the listener into new and unexplored dark corners of their imagination. Take opener ‘Orthodox Weapons’ for instance. The tapping and sweeping notes accentuate the base Heavy Metal riff, the oohs and vocal reverb provide transitions in the song, and for every bit of chaos a new riff or rhythmic change is born. Or a song like ‘Second Possession’, a song leaning more on the typical Black Metal foundations but where the meandering nature of the riffs give it a restless twist. There is a certain fluency in the unpredictable nature of Spirit Possession’s music that makes it immediately catch on yet continues to intrigue. And before you know it, you will find yourself at the end of the record, on your way to press play again.
Black Metal, Heavy Metal, reverb, oohs, bleghs, tapping and sliding, polka beats and frenzied drum flurries. ‘Of the Sign…’ is a wild and frantic ride, chaotic and a tad insane yet something that just sucks you in and somehow makes sense. One hell of a record!
