Ready for some doomy BM to crush your spirit today? Good. This is Revenant, by the appropriately-named Creeping. These Kiwis lurk around in the shadows like a pack of soul-reaving psy vampires "per se." But Hot Topic legions be warned, this is probably too scary for your scene.
Despite the "creeping" nature of the music, this album is not devoid of hooks. Quite to the contrary, the methodical pace is quite riff-driven. "Scythes over my Grave" drew me into this dark pit with a series of catchy melodies and grooves. The faster pace, energetic beats, and totally grim tremolo picking make this a highlight of Revenant.
The alternation between this and the Cosolamentumish portions is a great effect. Vocals fall somewhere between second wave and Portal. This take on black/death fusion, along with the heavy use of reverb and some of the simplistic-yet-hypnotic guitar work, also brought to mind the most recent (excellent) Emptiness album. "Cold Soil" has one such riff, and the creepy whispering is like the Hall of Souls from the original Quake.
More or less an interlude, this track serves as a very atmospheric lead-in to "Drear," which returns us to our original doomy pace. Here the downward spiral is reaching the drain, with the title track watching the listener disappear into oblivion. Haunting guitars squeal with effects over drums that pound in time with the bass. The final chords begin to contort, and then...it's over. Silence. The end. The abrupt nature of it makes the conclusion all the more disturbing.
Check out Creeping today and pick up this tasty album on bandcamp today.