Descend to Purity

Acârash

Here comes the second release of the band, they have been together for 4 years […]
By "Der Bärtige Mann" Gareth Beams
June 23, 2020
Acârash - Descend to Purity album cover

Here comes the second release of the band, they have been together for 4 years and this release makes the band show no sign of slowing down. Let's hear what the Occult Blackened Doom dudes from Norway have laid out for us.

"Descend to Purity" starts us off slowly, ready to build up. The pace and balance go well together, allowing certain creative outfits to shine through, whilst not losing the Doom side of the tempo. The melodies keep ticking over, without going too far from the progression that the buildup is allowing. Its not an electrifying start, but it is catchy.

"Satanic Obsession" continues the good tempo that has been built-up, the aggression is easier to hear in this song, the vocals seem to be more involved from the off and play a key part. This one reminds me of SATYRICON more than anything else, which is a compliment in its own right. This is a more technical song and it adds so much depth and interest just by being itself. Great song

"Desecrate. Liberate" keeps the fast-pace, less doom more Death Metal, which I am enjoying. The melodies have been allowed to express themselves more which just adds more interest in the sound. The Thrash aspect just add more depth to the song, keeping it ticking over and never loses track of the beat, it remains well-balanced but also never holding back.

"Goat, Skull, Ritual Circle" slows things down to the more common levels of Doom, keeping the balance well maintained. This one doesn't seem like it will kick off too much into life, rather, draw us into the melodies that are appearing. The song is darker than the last two, which will build on the overall feel and sound to the album. Personal preference will state which you prefer.

"Below Ceremonial" picks up the tempo once more at the start, but soon dips back into the darkness and doom. The song does keep the tempo and balance hand-in-hand really well and allows the harmonies to progress. The song is still kicking out a decent melody right until the end, allowing the progression of the song to show the advances in both the faster tempo and the darker melodies.

"Three Knives Cold" keeps up the slow, dark start that the last few songs have had. The tempo picks up a little, but not the levels we have heard so far, this is certainly a slower one. The more technical harmony comes in and picks the song up, taking it to a new depth, more harmonic, maybe been more melodic, but whatever it is, its good and right time to execute.

"Steel Hunter" has more urgency to it, maybe a return of the Death Metal stance once more? The tempo is set to a decent level with the potential to increase to what it has been. The harmonies are very catchy and continue to draw interest throughout the song. The song ticks over nicely, could have gone off in a few frenzied ways, but its still a strong song in its own right.

"Red Stone Betrayal" picks up the pace to the next gear. The tempo does drop almost instantly, which is disappointing. It does try to pick back up, and to its credit, it works more Thrash than much else, but its effective and should have been used before on this album. Maybe not the strongest end, but still a decent end to a decent album.

The album is a great mix of darkness from the Blackened Doom and Death Metal paced melodies. The songs are catchy and never seems to loose balance or control. It is a great release and goes well to help the band cementing their name on our playlists if they were not already there. Needless to say, they were already on mine.

8 / 10

Excellent

Songwriting

8

Musicianship

8

Memorability

8

Production

8
"Descend to Purity" Track-listing:

1. Descend to Purity
2. Satanic Obsession
3. Desecrate. Liberate
4. Goat, Skull, Ritual Circle
5. Below Ceremonial
6. Three Knives Cold
7. Steel Hunter
8. Red Stone Betrayal

Acârash Lineup:

Anlov P. Mathiesen aka Valac - Lead Vocals & Bass Guitar
Lukas Paulsen - Guitars
Sølve Sæther - Drums

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