In examining the caustic biorhythms of the newly living dead… — Beyond the screaming blood n’ spittle cast and the dead-eyed stare of hunger in their gaze we can begin examining the chemical aspect of consciousness on a microscopic level of nuclear migration as it is affected by necromantic reanimation, misanthropic possession with homicidal intent. The basic function of the act is magick’d control of cells which cannot feasibly function when glimpsed back to life by force, as a result they only exude blustering, noxious putridity from every pore. With the dead skin, stiff and dried of its natural points of exit all cellular respiration spews its sludge downward and outward, seeking a gash or the weakened walls of a wound to spill its wastes from. There is no dread or panicked state of fear which could feasibly return to the re-animated brain as it dumps away its malformed cystic functions, but rather an endless feeling of relief as the sphincter of every cell squelches out its abomination in prolific, oily-black pools and sickening puddles. Fueled by the unknown realm of cadaveric consciousness and the visceral inversion of the flesh post-mortem Fort Wayne, Indiana-based death metal duo Desekryptor present their debut full-length album as a the re-animated corpse ‘old school’ death metal with a very different function of atmospheric loft and intensely savaged actions in mind. The splattered dementia of a possessed corpse is just one way to describe ‘Vortex Oblivion‘, where their “fucked up” take on classicism acts in opposition to current mainstreamed appeal, clearly exists to catch the diehard ear, while risking supremely ugly and unexpected turns taken for the sake of death metal that is textural and ruthless enough to sate their own unnerving proclivities.

Desekryptor formed into a quartet sometime prior to 2016 when they’d released their first demo tape (‘Demo 2016‘, 2016) which was feasibly a demo, a step beyond the rehearsal stage in terms of showing how their synchronization into murky atmospheric death metal songs had formed thus far. It was a sound that’d likely appeal to folks following what Phrenelith were doing around that same time, still enjoying the caverncore-adjacent atmospheric realm but finding a path quicker to the riff by way of bestial death metal as they landed upon their much improved, ear-catching second tape (‘Chasm of Rot‘, 2017). That’d been the big reveal of Desekryptor‘s promise and “modern” yet clearly ‘old school’ inspired death metal style which I’d generally likened to the gap left by bands like Funebrarum, who’ve been silent since the mid-2010’s, at the time. If we had to look for a contemporary feeling at the time, the bestial pulse and brutality of their work would’ve impressed the Ascended Dead or The Haunting Presence fandom in particular while also feeling like a bestial death metal entry itself. Hit the title track on ‘Chasm of Rot‘ for pretty important precedence as to what folks’ve been expecting from this group for the last seven or so years. When I’d given brief review of their split with Dragkhar (‘Desekryptor/Draghkar‘, 2018) I’d been unsure where they were going with it, sounding a bit like, I dunno, Temple Nightside on “The Ceremony of Cleaning Corpses” but I’d given them the benefit of the doubt knowing there was something likely Incantation-esque but (again) bestial in their future.

It is a shame that I didn’t receive a copy of Desekryptor‘s latest EP ‘Curse of the Execrated‘ (2023) back in May of this year since I’d more than likely have given it thorough, assuredly positive review as it suggested the scope of this band had expanded considerably and they’d brough the riffs while dipping a limb or two into the Swedish death metal blood-pool with “Enraptured in Chants” and writing one of their all-time best pieces with opener “Sadistic Incineration.” The tape was two-sided, eh, not only literally but the first two songs reflected what ‘Vortex of Oblivion‘ does best within their more bestial yet classic death metal mode while the second half lost the obscurant crunch of it all for something slightly more straight-forward. I am not sure if those were leftover pieces, a different session, or older material but it might’ve created quite a bit more hype for this record if it’d struck me back then rather than now.

Most of what’d been shit-hot about that tape persists here, the riffs still flow but ‘Vortex Oblivion‘ insists upon some of their murk herein. This is not only true in terms of the mix feeling thicker in terms atmospheric strata applied to the guitar layers but also the sketched and slurred twist many of these songs receive in terms of their not-so linear riffcraft. As we fall into the chasmic groan of Side A Opener “Abysmal Resurrection” naturally brings a loose-shouldered late 90’s Morbid Angel-esque ride and sprawl feeling with its double-bass rattled movement and barked-at expanse before they turn that corner and lean harder into the stamping hammer they’ve always brought and a thrashing bridge to carry the deep-set solo as it catches air. This is clearly a high mark for the band, even when considering there were doubly sharp pieces on their 2023 tape this opener sets the right tone for the album going forward and impresses for its level of intense but thoughtful action. “Tornadic Hordes” will likely be the first to catch the ear in terms of the twisted earlier Krypts-like atmospheric reach of the full listen and makes good on the ‘Desolate Endscape‘-era Phrenelith mentions early on. I didn’t spend all of my time with ‘Vortex Oblivion‘ referencing other bands but this is the best shorthand to create expectations with, wailing guitar solos and frequent on-the-fly riff changes included.

Perhaps because Desekryptor had always implied chaos but delivered ‘old school’ death metal of a certain atmospheric faction I wasn’t surprised by the quality of the two opening pieces on ‘Vortex Oblivion‘ but I was impressed that this debut’s delivery was spot-on. That feeling briefly faded out as “Festering Ulceration” kicked in as the first piece to fit the moment but disappoint with its bland arrangement. Though it’d intended to be the slammer to hit the rest of the pogs, the bestial strike to add momentum in approach the middle of the full listen the song flailed and eventually bumps into a hardcorish riff before using a fade-out to finish the thought. In passing and outside of closer analysis it all pushes past quick but this’d been the first of a few just average moments that didn’t measure up to the prior EP’s material, which should be the high standard set for this LP from my point of view. The harrowing, dive-bombing creep of “Seeds of Disease” makes up for this quick and the next few pieces hold up even better.

Abstraction or obscuration? — The second half of this album blurred past to start, either I’d been immersed up to the neck or just naturally began to dissociate into a pointless piss-puddle in response at first but either way I’d found myself drifting away from the details as I pressed beyond the fairly standard slap-and-twist grooves of “Omen of Terror”. Getting past the feeling that this is -that- sort of variation on the moderne cavernous Incantation-esque tip I’m overly familiar with at this point wasn’t difficult since “Dagger in the Christ” is probably one of the best pieces on the album and it comes up quick, but there were definitely a couple of points on this record where I’d repeatedly fell off the ride. None of the performances were lacking, the execution is jankless and a pro showing for a debut full-length, so no complaints there but I’d been left wanting more along the lines of the standout guitar work they’d ventured into on ‘Curse of the Execrated‘. Still, sit me with a spaced-out yet brutal atmospheric death metal record long enough and I’ll come out the other side having enjoyed myself, this one just took some persistence to figure out where it’d been meant stick and where it’d intended to wander off the grid. Not a seamless connection but a solid, stylized listening experience overall.

What is most unique about Desekryptor‘s atmospheric form of bestial-surged death metal is perhaps how they willfully bury some of their best assets within the blur of their sound design, perhaps a taste for the innovations of early Portal lending some generous replay value to ears willing to revisit each storm of stress and gore ’til the prime chunks have revealed their silhouettes more clearly. In this sense anyone who’d been waiting on this LP since ‘Chasm of Rot‘ should be pretty stoked on the final result since they’ve upheld and elevated the grime and muddy slapping of their bestial death metal sound but haven’t forgotten to write body-high inducing riffs that stretch far beyond the whirring swing-and-miss stance of bestial death/war metal. All in all ‘Vortex Oblivion‘ is an admirable introduction to their realm which leaves plenty enough room to mutate and expand in the future if this is to be their proper ground zero event. A high recommendation.

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