Ævangelist – Omen Ex Simulacra
The dead moan and cry out from their isolated dimension with despair and agony, only to be heard, re-channeled and enslaved once again by the abysmally haunted sound spectrum of this twisted duo, Ævangelist. De Masticatione Mortuorum in Tumulis was truly an eye opener of a release for me with it’s deeply brutal and ritualistic take on death metal, and with Omen Ex Simulacra, Ævangelist continue to embellish their 2 man creation with even more uncomfortable misery and the audial equivalent to a fearless glimpse into hell.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it… indeed. Ævangelist have taken the exact same formula: polluted and detuned death riffs, synthetic and distorted drums, varying levels of growled to shrieked vocals and tied it all together with incessant keyboard sounds that flow like rivers of dread in the background. The entire package makes for an unsettling experience, but it is a strand of uniqueness that heightens the impact of their music and sets them off in their own black corner of twisted malevolence. As I listen to Omen Ex Simulacra, I try to hear past the synth torment and to imagine how this album would play out without that bleak strand spinning throughout the bulk of this album. Would Ævangelist be the same dark overlords? Something would surly be lacking, but I think the music on its own could withstand the otherworldly loss of keyboards and stand on it’s own with plodding and repugnant structures bloated with evil riffage. But thankfully, we don’t have to know what this theory will sound like, only to sit back and fall victim to the experience as a whole.
I have spun this album 4 times now and it still strikes me as infinitely alienating and devoid of traditional hooks or other musical anchors to hold onto when being beaten down by the crushing waves of pure nauseating death. This sounds a bit melodramatic I know, but Omen Ex Simulacra is infinitely interesting in spite of the full on attack on your senses with little “musical” payoff for your suffering. Jesus wept. -Marty
Debemur Morti Productions
Worm Gear 