Another debut. These amazing new bands just keep coming out of the woodwork. Meet London's Qrixkuor, another death metal band falling into the atmospheric variety. While they have been around since 2011, this is their first proper LP: 3 tracks covering nearly 40 minutes of music. Befitting with the album's title, this trio harpies have come to encircle you in chaos and turn your soul to ash. One word sticks in my mouth: malevolent.
Think Adversarial: kvlty production, rumbling insect-like tremolo, sporadic shifts in pace, and venomous growls. The hellish vocals are awash in reverb, screaming from the abyss. Certain portions of the discordant guitarwork reminded me of Portal as well, though Qrixkuor like to through in a few Kerry Kingish solos for good measure. I have had a few similar bands hit my inbox around the same time, but each has managed to really carry their weight despite the strong parallels.
It is amazing to me how great a performance you can still get out of a drum kit despite intentionally burying it in the mix. You would think all impact would be lost, but it is quite the opposite. Each bass and snare hit seems all the more powerful while also adding a strange layer of anxiety. Its as if this is the sound of fear itself translated into death metal. Each listen seemed to creep its way deeper into my biological fight or flight response, at times even causing my heart to actually beat faster.
All said and done, this is a really great debut. The musicianship is very strong, the atmosphere is terrifying, and any comparisons are quite complimentary given that they are to much more established bands. I see no reason why these chaps couldn't hold their own on stage opening for any of the groups I have mentioned. If you are in need of a record that is absolutely spirit-devouring, Three Devils Dance is just what you were looking for.