From Bandcamp, “From the haunted catacombs of Uppsala, Sweden, emerges ALKEMIA, a solemn procession of pure doom/death majesty. Not a side-project, not a fleeting experiment, “Depulsus” is the fully realized debut album of a band carved from obsidian intent. “Depulsus” is a monolithic first statement: six hymns of despair forged in atmospheric darkness and melodic gloom. The band channels influences from across the decades, the bleak majesty of MY DYING BRIDE, the crushing atmosphere of early PARADISE LOST, the spectral weight of CELTIC FROST, and the unholy spirit of BLACK SABBATH, yet shapes it into something uniquely their own: brooding, hypnotic, and timeless.

“Dormant and Macabre” is the first song, and it eases in slowly, with crawling bass notes, followed by a riff that weights more than a meteor dropping to earth. The vocals are throaty, and guttural…a combination I haven’t heard before, and they give the song a quality of death. “Purity of Oblivion” is a slow beast that drips with emotion…maybe regret, definitely pain. There is a good dose of melody here, although with each beat of the drums, it sends waves of torture through your veins. “Sorcery Embers” is livelier, and more vital, at first…but quickly descends back to a deep, cavernous sound that is reminiscent of being under the earth. The lead breaks are a bit of a surprise, but a nice one, and I also appreciate the bass notes features so prominently. A lot of bands mix through and over their bassist.

“Lamenting Serenades of Eden” begins with haunting keyboards, and it sets a scene of lament, for sure. The riff that follows is cold, and solemn, and the brief leads seem to sing to the pain in your heart. The dark, heavy riff is more reminiscent of the darker side of life, a stone often left unturned. “Where No Hearts or Angels Reach” is a very fitting title to some of the music on the album. Consider a place so vast, and so frigid, that no heart, or no angels can reach. That is absolute zero Kelvin cold. The music is dissonant, and offers no solace. Even the lead breaks are emotionless. “The Curse of a Thousand Centuries” is the final song. It has a faster pace, but the weight of despair remains strong.

A solemn procession, indeed. The album grips you with an icy grasp, and stinks of death. It takes you to a place where no humans reside, and ever have before. It’s a bit magical if you think about it, but in a deadly sort of way.