From Bandcamp, “Formed in 2022, VOSFORIS is a UK-based black metal band with industrial elements. Their first album, "Cosmic Cenotaph," is due for release on April 19, 2024, by Inner Hell Records. This 43-minute album, produced by Russ Russell and Simon White at The Parlour Studios in Kettering, England, merges existential themes with intense music.  The songs take listeners on a harrowing journey through themes of cosmic horror and philosophical nihilism. Each song delves deep into the chasms of human and beyond-human experiences, invoking images of dark futures and the decay of space and time.”

“The Basilisk” is first. There is a sinister combination of keyboards, guitars, and vocals, a dark edge to the music, thumping bass guitar notes, and plenty of filth. This isn’t your dad’s old school Black Metal. “Psychonaut” has some early Progressive elements, and the dissonance is just barely held in check by haunting melodies. There is also just enough of an edge to the vocals to make them very harrowing, as well as a guitar solo, which isn’t often heard in the genre. “Decoherence” is both shorter and faster, with drums running in quadruple time, and a scorching sound that is akin to lighting a bonfire and watching the embers rise into the night sky. “Childhood’s End” begins with fat, scary keyboard notes, and the feeling that something ominous is coming. The slow, crawling pace is about enough to frighten the shit right out of you.

“Alien Nexion” begins with clean, somber tones, and showcases the band’s ability to explore within the confines of the genre. Although there is a good deal of chaos that follows, melodies are still there, bubbling under the surface. “Universal Rot” shows more of the band’s ability to keep up with a fast moving sound, fueled by thunderous drumming, and precise riffing. “Chains of Existence” moves with a strong groove, almost marching over and through anything in its path. Dead bodies are crushed, bones splinter, and the earth deepens under the heavy footprint cadence. “Omega” closes the album, and it is mighty, and powerful. It leaves no doubt that the band’s intention is to take over the world.

For me, this was an exceptional release, marked by a band who is not afraid to explore their own vision, while still staying true to the roots of the genre. The use of keys, guitar solos, and a hardened Industrial edge are the perfect accompaniments to their original, detailed, weighted and uncompromising sound.