Auroch has proven to be a difficult band to get into over the past decade, as the group seemed to only get denser and more technical as the years progressed. Starting off as a thrash band over a decade ago, it would only be a handful of releases before they transformed into a blackened death metal monster that crammed riff after riff and thick atmosphere into a fast-paced blitzkrieg that demanded your full attention. For their latest EP Stolen Angelic Tongues the group has brought back old and new blood, having now expanded to a five-piece from a trio, and their material has continued to twist in turn in such a whirlwind fashion that it’ll likely take you a few times through to break through the noise and get a feel for the details. But like so many other bands of this type, that effort is rewarded with ideas that fall outside of the norm for old school death metal and the usual second-wave black metal worship.
Rather than launching directly into a flurry of riffs and blasting drums, Auroch eases you into a false sense of security with “Shattering the Axis Mundi”. Both this intro and the closing track “Erecting the Axis Mundi” move away from metal in favor of haunting and otherworldly ambient which draw upon the South American and Caribbean mysticism that the band is exploring thematically throughout the EP. While these songs provide a brief period of calm they still evoke a dense atmosphere that gets under your skin and beckons you back for another listen. When it comes to the other three songs, this is where you’re likely to need a few times through to peel back all the different layers. “Hideous New Gods” starts off at an immense level and only seems to gain more steam as it progresses, giving off hints of black metal’s jagged edges and foggier atmospherics while weaving around brutal, bottom heavy riffs that recall Florida death metal at its finest. It’s a combination that’s immediately appealing but so dense that you’ll really need some focus to make out everything that’s happening. There’s a level of technicality to the playing that recalls some of the more dissonant death metal bands like Ulcerate, but Auroch remains rooted more in the old-school approach. It’s a lot to take in, even considering this is only an eighteen-minute EP, but the way the material ebbs and flows between speedy destruction and mid-tempo, lurching riffs urges you to keep listening.
Previously vocals were split between S.M. and S.H., both of whom are in Mitochondrion. The interplay between the guttural growls and higher screams always grabbed my attention, and with this release Auroch has brought back their original singer Cuillen Sander alongside some additional guests. The change in personnel brings a fairly different dynamic to their vocals, as there are more pitches than ever before and it feels like every few seconds brings something new to the table. In addition to the deep gutturals that channel pure death metal, there are all sorts of distorted screams and inhuman sounding pitches that make the overall atmosphere just as dread inducing as how technical the playing is. It’s clear that by looking back at their past Auroch has been able to push forward and twist their sound to an even more potent level.
For me this was the first release from this band that’s fully clicked, which could be due to the slightly increased clarity between instruments or the slightly more melodic approach that distinguishes individual passages a bit more than before. It’s a quick and concentrated of technical and overwhelmingly dense death metal riffing with some black metal atmosphere for good measure, bookended by some haunting ambient passages that stand out more than your average intro and outro. Auroch has started this decade off with an expanded lineup and an even more complex yet riff focused approach than before, and they’re stronger than ever. Stolen Angelic Tongues is available from 20 Buck Spin.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
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