Today we have the privilege of sharing an early stream of ‘Omegavortex/Pious Levus‘ a split full-length album from a well-paired duo of arcane blackened death metal bands, Germans OMEGAVORTEX and Texans PIOUS LEVUS, each of whom present the penultimate standard with intensely personalized works of death metal carnage. Two exemplar threads of erroneous, calculated mayhemic battery set behind high-brained rhythmic sensationalism which could only be achieved through psychic connection with true extreme metal’s demand for maniacal vision and corporeal conditioning. Or, in plain English — They’ve both got riffs stacked to high Hell, all parameters set to noisome and aggressive late 80’s death metal that bears personality and conviction. This split, which features recordings specifically captured for this release, releases this Friday, October 21st on Compact Disc and digitally by way of the good folks at Invictus Productions, Dark Descent Records, and Goat Throne Records.

OMEGAVORTEX represent an indefatigable, incomparable anomaly in black/death metal artistry wherein the ‘old school’ influence in their sound never amounts to barbaric, or, reductive thought but an easily observed inspiration for a highest standard of rhythm and expression, a challenge to the self and a nox upon the listener which consistently inspires a horrified soundscape. On the material for this split they’ve attuned their signature frantic tension to an aggression that is notably presented with a live, electrically charged presence as if it were flowing from an inhuman force into their well-trained machinery. The lead guitar work lends a lot to this supernatural live wire sparking off in mind, scraping the will out of their guitar strings in a brilliant display throughout.

PIOUS LEVUS are no less of a familiar face of death, having reviewed their debut full-length back in 2018 and hearing more of a ‘Stillbirth Machine‘ sort of 80’s black/death at the time, I was probably a bit hung up on their past work in Thornspawn to necessarily capture the essence of their gig. Here their sound is cleansed of rhythmic chop and obscuration, producing a more cutting and brutal pulse of blackened and thrashing death metal which centers around still raw and graceless but thoughtfully set guitar progressions. There is a hateful nausea applied to these songs, channeling an uninterrupted rush of ancient brutality which all builds up to the brilliant closer “The Never Betrayer” which caps things off perfectly.

Thanks goes out to the artists, their labels and representation for the opportunity to share this excellent album early. Scroll down to the Bandcamp embed below to finalize your descent. As always do your best to support the death metal underground and grab a physical copy from Invictus Productions , Dark Descent Records or Goat Throne Records.

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Per the Press Release:

INVICTUS PRODUCTIONS, in conspiracy with DARK DESCENT, is proud to present a special split album between OMEGAVORTEX and PIOUS LEVUS.

Two relatively “newer” bands who unapologetically attack like the OLD gods, OMEGAVORTEX and PIOUS LEVUS here make a blood pact to utterly PUNISH the listener and all those who pretend to be into death metal and black metal. Trendy, safe sounds you will NOT find here; both bands deliver exclusive material that fully complement their respective debut albums of recent years.

Indeed, listening to the new OMEGAVORTEX material is like driving slowly past a terrible car-crash site strewn with bloody body parts: you keep watching, although you shouldn’t. If their celebrated/feared Black Abomination Spawn full-length from 2020 upped the ante on true extremity, then the Germans’ six new songs here just might be the unhealthiest and most psychopathic recording of the last few years. As ever, OMEGAVORTEX borderline between black metal and war metal while making most of it sound very slow and tame by comparison. However, here they devolve that literally insane swell of sound into something utterly unenjoyable and fuck-off stratifying: rawer-than-the-rawest-demo production and berzerker-mad playing that proudly declares their PARANORMAL DEATH METAL banner. Want riff-driven chaos circa 1987 (Necrovore, Incubus, Morbid Angel) but blitzkrieged into in an alternate timeline / parallel dimension? Here you go: only the strong survive.

Not to be outdone, PIOUS LEVUS follow up their Beast of the Foulest Depths full-length and Bolt of Satanic Might EP with an equally chaotic ‘n’ coiling attack of archaic black/death. PIOUS LEVUS carry the flame of the ancient metal underground. Think of a time when the most underground bands shared their music through cassette recordings, mailed from far-away places: this is the world PIOUS LEVUS live in. No trends, no agendas, no nothing but chaos and death; that they started down their path of blasphemy many years ago in the original Thornspawn of the ’90s should underline their dark devotion. With their five new tracks here, PIOUS LEVUS bring back the BLACK DEATH of earliest Necrovore, Morbid Angel, Incubus, and Mayhem: crushing olden-days riffs and criminally evil atmosphere, and chaotic leads rather pretty guitar solos.

It goes without saying that OMEGAVORTEX and PIOUS LEVUS share a mutual respect, and joined together on this split as a strategic assault on hipsters and posers. Beware, for the true underground is making its presence known with violence and force!

Full tracklisting
OMEGAVORTEX

1. Mutilation Paradise
2. Origin of Evil
3. Babalon Working
4. Polarization – Hell on Earth
5. Demonic Phantasm
6. Paranormal Death

PIOUS LEVUS

7. Condemners Cult
8. Cursed Altar
9. Lucipyrean Stronghold
10. Miscreant Diabolus
11. The Never Betrayer

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