SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE (S.O.Y.G.) hailing from Monterrey, Mexico were formed in 2012. The Death Metal outfit released so far one EP and two full-length albums. Their third album “Arkanum” was written by S.O.Y.G., and it was produced, mixed, and mastered by Charles A. Leal at Psicofonia Studio. It has a length of more than 30 minutes, and it was released via Mexican Death, Black, and Doom Metal specialists Concreto Records.

 S.O.Y.G. start their album with the hammering “The Infection”, which is a mixture of fast, blast-beat driven, powerful mid-tempo parts, and head-banging parts at a stomping rhythm. The melodic framework has a few oriental inspirations. The guitar riffing is devastating and so are the growling vocals that go across almost the whole guttural range. “The Infection” is a very strong opener, and it is no surprise that the track has been released as video with the YouTube link provided below. “The Heretic” starts with aggressive riffing at mid-tempo that is supported by the blast-beats. There are many tempo and rhythm changes throughout the track including a few faster parts, but also some short down-tempo parts. It is a track with some complexity in the textures and in the riffing as well as the vocals are very versatile with a few tonal shifts throughout the track. “Vigilia” starts with thunderous riffing and crunching basslines, transitioning into a verse part at fast pace. It is a pummeling track for most parts including the blast-beats. There is a mid-tempo break leading into one of the few extended lead guitar solos. Features of the track are again the many twists and turns in tempo and rhythm as well as the versatility of the vocals. “Vigilia” is one of my favorite album tracks.

“Into The Devil’s Realm” starts with a grim guitar-driven pre-lude, leading into the mid-tempo verse part. The track is once again a mixture of hammering fast parts, double-bass driven mid-tempo parts, and head-banging thunderous parts with blood-freezing melodies. It is the darkest song on the album so far, with the most prominent chilling melodies during the slower parts of the track. “Dark Lullaby” is a crushing track with switching from powerful mid-tempo verse parts, via blast-beat driven bridges at frantic pace, to sluggish chorus parts at a head-banging rhythm. The riffing is direct and aggressive, the basslines are crunching at times, and the vocals range from lower growls to higher pitched screams. The opening guitar sequence of “Broken Hour Glass” indicates more darkness. The track is a mixture of mid-tempo verse parts and faster parts, mainly driven by the relentless double-bass drumming and the strong basslines. The melodic framework has again some oriental vibes at times.

“Self Sacrifice” starts with a scream from the abyss and turns into another pummeling at insane pace with a few devastating mid-tempo parts. The fast parts are driven by the aggressiveness and directness in the riffing, while the riffs during the mid-tempo parts are thunderous. The track ends with a break at a measured tempo where the lead guitars take over. “Self Sacrifice” is another album highlight. The album finishes strong with “The March Of The Innocents”, where the focus is put on spine-chilling melodies. In terms of the tempo, the track is the album typical mixture of twisting and turning different tempos and rhythms. It is a fast track at its base, but with numerous switches. It is one of the rare tracks where pure Death Metal rawness is coupled with epic melodies, which are melancholic at times and, as during the final sequence, have neo-classical features.  “The March Of The Innocents” is another album highlight and S.O.Y.G. go out with a bang!

 S.O.Y.G. deliver their best album to date. “Arkanum” is a mixture of aggressive pummeling, punishing riffing, crushing basslines, and hammering blast-beats. All is kept together by an overarching grim melodic framework. The versatile vocals are very impressive throughout the album. S.O.Y.G. have improved their songwriting very much and moved away from a sluggish doom-laden towards a faster and more aggressive sound, but they still maintain their roots. The album is very well produced. Death Metal fans who like getting a melodic hammering will love the album and from my point of view, “Arkanum” should be part of the album collection of every Death Metal fan.