For twenty plus years Poland’s Azarath has been creating fast and ferocious blackened death metal that leaned a bit more into the death metal side than most bands that are often tagged with that sub-genre. With Behemoth’s drummer Inferno also being one of the original members of Azarath, it has been interesting to watch the two diverge and head in stylistic directions that complement each other yet retain an individual identity. Where earlier albums were a blitzkrieg of blast beats and brutal riffing, the past few albums have showcased more dynamic songwriting and quite a bit of technicality, and this approach has continued on this year’s Saint Desecration. The core trio that were responsible for 2011’s Blasphemers’ Maledictions and 2017’s In Extremis have remained intact, with the main difference being vocalist Skullripper (Embrional), who has replaced Necrosodom. With this change in place Azarath has once again pushed outwards towards a slightly more polished sound that allows some dark and tense atmosphere to seep into the brutal attack, resulting in material that remains engaging from beginning to end.
The first thing you’ll notice upon hitting play is how big Saint Desecration sounds. While the band has moved towards a bit more clarity and lost some of the grit of their earlier records, in its place are drums that sound massive and guitar and bass work that churns over top of that pummeling foundation. Azarath tended to focus on unrelenting blast beats and faster tempos that recalled some of the most brutal and furious variants of death metal while allowing just a bit of black metal tonality to seep in, and there’s still plenty of that to be found here but the overall approach feels more dynamic than ever before. Opener “Death at Will” is a great showpiece of what you’ll get here, as its ominous melodies and mid-tempo breaks let more atmosphere seep in along side of the blasts. There are quite a few variations to the attack as you make your way through Saint Desecration that blur the lines between black and death metal to a truly fine point. The guitar and drums in are what help to really set Azarath above many of the others that have released material this year, as the guitars switch things up regularly and cram a lot of different ideas into a single song while Inferno’s drumming is as strong as ever. Some highlights include “Sancta Dei Meretix” which rumbles forth with the type of rage as classic death metal but have more varied drum and cymbal work, along with the six and a half minute closer “Beyond the Gates of Burning Ghats” which sprawls outward with darkened grandeur reminiscent of Blaze of Perdition at times yet still rooted in death metal. Where a lot of blackened death metal starts off strong and then devolves into repetitive blasts and recycled riffs, Saint Desecration provides enough substance to give its songs more of an identity.
Those of you who missed Azarath’s earlier days likely discovered them thanks to Blasphemers’ Maledictions or In Extremis, and the major difference you’ll notice this time around is on the vocal front. Where Necrosodom had a much higher pitched scream, Skullripper works more with the lower end of the register and can reach some truly monstrous peaks. With the production being even fuller the screams and growls tower above the recording, and this approach allows each word to grab your attention from one song to the next. Where the instrumentation incorporates black and death metal tones in equal capacity Skullripper’s approach is firmly rooted in death metal, and he delivers the type of intense yet nuanced performance that really helps to elevate the band’s music further.
At seven albums in, Azarath’s latest may not be a truly unexpected leap but it does branch outwards a bit while retaining the precision and relentless energy the band has become known for. With songs that balance that blitzkrieg with some methodical grooves and tense atmosphere, this is another year end highlight that showcases this long-running group still at the top of their game. Saint Desecration is available from Agonia Records.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
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