Hailing from France, Black Metal band INCIPIENT CHAOS are getting ready to release their debut full-length album. On their Facebook page, the simple message “from despair, we live” is etched. The album has seven songs, and “Sever the Oracle” is first. The sound is incredibly tight and dense, as well as harrowing, provided mostly from the guitars and drums. It’s pedal to the metal, all guns blazing, burn everything to the ground Black Metal. “The Apex” is a little slower, but no less intense or overgrown with sonority. The main riff also covers a lot of territory, and each note seems more frightening then the next.

“The Fire that Devours the Soul and Flesh” has a slower and steadier pace at first, before the gas is thrown onto the fire and it erupts in structured chaos. You can also hear the bass notes in this song and they move fast. “Crumbling Bones” has a similar sound and structure, and the songs are starting to blend together a bit. I believe the album’s main focus is to drive the harrowing sounds down the throat of the listener, but they do need to very things up a bit. “Ominous Acid” is another song of unrelenting intensity that goes for the throat, like a rabid dog, There is also a steady drum presence here that does not quit, and you have to give him props for keeping the time as he does throughout the chaos.

 “Dragged Back to the Abyss” is eerie and slow, with thick bass notes, and the sound becomes even more overgrown with the advent of vocals. They are so thick, they hang in the air like a cloud that you can’t even see through. The lengthy “All is Lost & All is Found” closes the album. After an innocuous opening, the driven sound returns. Depression…anger…frustration and revenge are tones that I hear in the song. Overall, this was a good album, but could have been better with a little more diversity from song to song. I especially love the prominent role of the bass player, and the thickness of the sound.