From Bandcamp, "Cult of Uzura" sees the dedicated French death/black metal band SKAPHOS fleshing out their sound on their third album - first on a label - to become more expressive and impactful than ever before. At this point, their proficiency is undeniable and their sound is a beautiful rendering of the two extreme styles, spiked with mean dissonance and steeped in an aura of mysticism. The execution remains ruthless and forceful despite showing subtlety in the emotive passages and deftness in the tempo changes. The gnarly death and black metal rawness is palpable even after having their disparate elements congealed on this album and the sound is more powerful than can be conceived for an album having this level of expression. In addition, the alternating contrast of chunky riffing with acerbic parts creates a lasting impression on the listener. This is a remarkable album in the death/black metal style that has actual substance along with the right aesthetics and sound.”

The title track is first. Following a brief, harrowing entering sound, it storms out of the gate with a thick bed of guitars, lots of aggression, and guttural vocals. It shifts from there, in and out of stormy black skies, and there are even some moments of levity. “Mad Man and the Sea” is a little slower, so that their power can really soak in. As if often the case in this genre of Metal, it’s the drummer that might be most impressive. How he can keep up with the shifts without missing a beat is amazing. “Hypoxia” is both shorter and more energetic, and pig squeals abound in the guitar work. “Echoes of the Drowned” has a much more depressive sound. The firm structures are still there, and the bass work is excellent, but take in the title of you want to know how this song sounds.

“Skaphism” is even deadlier, and its landscape reminds me of emotions like anger, regret, despair, and even anguish. “The Servant” reminds me of serving the Dark Lord. There are some subtle moments of hopelessness built into the song, which is largely aggressive and contentious sounding. “The Offering” has sounds of both anger and despair, and they wrestle with one another throughout the song, without a victor. The anger lashes out at you like a coiled snake and the despair keeps you unable to lift up your head. “Diluvian Sentence” is defined as “of, relating to, or brought about by a flood.” It might be the infamous biblical flood, and the tones of rage and hatred that was brought onto the earth at that time are reflected in the music.

“All Shall Be Now Itself the Sea” closes the album. Darkness creeps in the same manner as night descends on the earth, and then the creepy things come out to play. This is the reason why so many of us are asleep during the night. Many of the songs are short, but they pack them to the gills. Still, 13 tracks is just about 2-3 too many, and by the end of the album, you might have trouble distinguishing one from another. Overall though, this was a dark and interesting album, and solid through and through.