Stepping out of their regenerative chamber, greeted by the hiss of shredded oxygen tubes and the splatter of all bio-tanks draining down low, these fully-formed mutants arrive built from unnatural crepuscular tech-reagents as a fission of ancient genetic matter and modern hyper-speed accession. Romancing the dark unknown, one brutal act at a time Concepción, Chile-based ‘old school’ progressive death/thrash metal quartet Blood Oath arrive tested and self-sustained on this impressive debut full-length. Those with a pre-existing thirst for the authentic, rugged underground sound of cruelest and earliest prog-death metal sophistication will find a golden-mined set of raw material on ‘Lost in an Eternal Silence‘ to appreciate, work which rings of bestial intelligence enough that it becomes an addictive and energizing substance in its own right spin after spin.

Blood Oath formed circa 2015 as a quintet who were bursting at the gates with their early material, taking on a Florida death metal inspired style on a rehearsal demo tape and a promotional EP (‘Malignant Manifesto‘, 2015) both of which showed quick promise in terms of locked-in songwriting, adventurous guitar work and that extra hint of sophistication one’d find in the earliest thrashing prog-death releases when that niche was still nascent. For their public debut release, the brilliant ‘The Line Between‘ (2017) mLP cranked the speed and upheld a sort of ‘Testimony of the Ancients‘-era Pestilence kinda sound which I’d fumbled through a review of in the early days of this site. Their intent was a bit more clear at that point, a mixture of feral 80’s death metal aggression and early 90’s technical sophistication for direction and coloration as they’d incorporated more prominent bass guitar presence and a few off-kilter motions on an otherwise solid wall of aggression. It was a high point, a great start and a promising ramp up for a still pretty green band.

Members came and went both around that time and beyond that point: Main composer/guitarist Ignacio Canales took over vocals while the previous vocalist started a solo ambient black metal act (Ghoül), second guitarist Cristian Fuentes left to focus on his band Mortify (re: ‘Fragments at the Edge of Sorrow‘) and was replaced by Ignacio Riveros (Antagonyze) in 2021. These were not unsubstantial movements to make right after a defining release but to the average listener it is a chance to pick up some more names from the always impressive Chilean underground. The current line-up of Blood Oath serves an even sharper and more capable set of performers for this style and they’ve kept it satisfyingly ‘old school’ in feeling from the production values to the congestion of rhythmic ideas loosening up to a post-‘Piece of Time‘ bounding and thrashing death attack, fretless bass and all. The appeal of ‘Lost in an Eternal Silence‘ versus the odd proper late 80’s/early 90’s technical death styled records we’re hit with a few times a year is, from my point of view, that you’ll not easily pass their work off as plainly derivative or overtly referential to one artist/niche. Their work fits within the realm of tradition but arrives with a knife-whipping cut down to the raw which is yet sophisticated in its motion. That said, of course a die-hard fan of Sadus or StarGazer will make quick friends of these fellowes per their direct bursts and their rhythmic play alike.

The moment we break the seal on their vault what arises from the hissing steam and flapping nutrient injectors is certainly predatorial as opener “Beyond the Dimensional Gates” begins cutting away at its prog-death tarantella, whipping through three or four classic thrash styled riff-changes as they begin to rant and wobble through blasts and double bass drum ripping turns on the way into this record. We get a hint of the rabid vocals that define the attitude of the album, the fretless bass that dominates with a monstrous low end, and the still rabid guitar work maintaining its acid-dripping tone with plenty of effects poisoning the slower rhythms that bubble up. From my point of view the transition from the brief opener into “Sanctuary of Souls” recalls Sadism‘s ‘Tribulated Bells‘, of course not as bestially summoned but it is one of the first moments to feel naturally South American in tradition of violent thrashing death metal. The physical presence of the bass guitar, the clear spark of the trailing-up melodic guitar lines (see: “Fateful Existence”), the implied drum compression of late 80’s death metal classics, everything feels ancient and bullet-belted in its study.

The molten gravitas of the album is consistent throughout the full listen but where I’d felt Blood Oath best doubled down on the identity they’d forged on ‘The Line Between‘ and carried it to a bigger place on this LP was the bass lead (via Matias Canales) introduction to the fray of “The Sacrifice”. That particular piece is the gate which acts to unlock our access to the depths of the album in a spiraling downturn, thrashing through the watery and echoing tech-thrash throughout. This is where most folks will see a relation to what bands like Suppression have likewise done with peak Sadus virtuosity, giving gnarled shaping to it, skipping none of the steps Death took away from the speed metal inspired riffcraft they’d began with. “Singularity” further explores the reach of those bass guitar wiles, digs into some new psychedelia-tripped effects and positions itself right at the start of Side B to kick up some new dust. From from that point Blood Oath continue to thrill with fresh ideas, different sounds, and a knack for energetic rhythms, such as the late 80’s Sepultura-esque cut of certain parts of “Reflections on Darkness” sidled up next to one of the most involved pair of pieces on the full listen, “The Journey Into the Depths” and the closer/title track, the latter of which is entirely fitting as a final peaking break-neck cut.

From front to back Blood Oath‘s debut provides the sensation of increasing complexity, a heightened cognition that creates its interest with both wrist-aching technical rhythmic turns and tastefully tempered prog-death bass infusion. ‘Lost in an Eternal Silence‘ seeks and finds the perfect admixture of scathing off-the-cuff killing speed of late 80’s death/thrash metal and the emergence of thinking man’s death metal in the earliest of 90’s, and I’d found this journey was well represented by the ghostly yet explosive cover art from the always dark and expressive Daniel Hermosilla/Nox Fragor Artworks. This aesthetic combined with the ancient and rugged production values easily finds this fine debut worthy of a spot next to any/all of the groups mentioned in description of the sensation created. Per my own listening habits and taste for this type of death metal this has already been one of my most reached-for and repeatedly spun LPs of the month and a prime example of how to give a personal yet traditional spin on classic form. A very high recommendation.

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