Coming from Santa Fe, New Mexico, HERETICAL SECT are a Black, Death and Doom Metal band. "Rapturous Flesh Consumed" is their debut full-length, following 2019's debut EP "Rotting Cosmic Grief". The six-track record, covers a little over 36 minutes and encompasses several influences and styles.

Things start right out of the bat with the violent dissonance of "Rising Light of Lunacy". Some Black Metal riffing and intricate basslines providing a gruesome groove. Warg's drums keep things fairly simple even if some passages are a bit more complex, but for the most part, they just deliver a steady, frantic rhythmic base. It builds towards an intense climax. "The Depths of Weeping Infinity" comes next, and doubles down into the manic tempo and crushing heaviness.

"Baptismal Rot and Ash" slows the pace and goes Doomy, with a Sludgy feel to it. A dynamic track with clear tempo and mood changes, it is also the longest song on the album at ten minutes and half in length, so things get a hint or two of Prog. Most of the tracks sections fit nicely, is a well-written epic, and it retains a bit of a jam session feel too, not that neatly constructed and a bit more improvised. It keeps you on edge all the time, as it brims with tension. Its lengthy coda could do with a bit of trimming but it is commendable that the band chooses to go that ambient.

The Death Metal influences of HERETICAL SECT come to the forefront on "Pit Abominations", remaining tied to the lo-fi aesthetic of Black Metal and Doom's love of droning, low-pitched riffing. At its most straightforward, it even would fit a Post-Metal collection. There are some howling wolves somewhere in the mix, a nice touch to uncover with headphones or blasting your speakers.

"Resurrection Sky" feels like an enigmatic interlude. Effect-heavy guitars and tribal sounding drums, its instrumental wouldn't be out of place on a horror movie. Some layered vocals add a Gothic, Soulful twist, making it sound like some kind of sinister Gospel song.

Closer "Degradation Temple" is fitting, even if it adds very little new to the record. The triplet feel of the track makes it a bit folksy, especially on the softer sections. It moves into fully Psychedelic passages midway through. Everything comes together for an outstanding final section, very syncopated and hypnotic, easing the listener out of the album. A final blast comes through, before ending abruptly.

Overall, "Rapturous Flesh Consumed" is a decent, even good debut album. It lacks stronger, more memorable passages, and even though the musicianship is excellent, the mix is so wet and every instrument kind of mashes together with the rest into a potent but indecipherable wall of sound.

The songs seem to be in there, as the band occasionally deliver some exquisite, well-written sections like the final moments of "Degradation Temple" or the Southern melodrama of "Resurrection Sky". With a bit more focus and better production, HERETICAL SECT could be delivering some truly outstanding work in the near future.