To show restraint with the blade despite its destructive, extreme power requires a mind thoughtful enough to mill over its purpose beyond plainest death’s summon. In the case of Alberta, Canada-based blackened death metal quartet AMPHISBAENA wield the horror of transcendental revelation as the muscle behind their cutting motions. A series of raw yet precision acts imbued with the search for meaning as its brandish this debut full-length album, ‘Rift‘, rebukes the common touch applied to black-death muse as they present unearthly passage through death. An act of nihil via primordial torpor and sophisticated violence in three pronounced waves this record is appreciably dense with statement yet brief in its span, an experience which naturally beckons repeated listening.

Amphisbaena formed as a duo circa ~2013, not long after the dissolution of Weapon as former guitarist N.K.L.H. (ex-Antediluvian) and drummer Paulus (Rites of Thy Degringolade, ex-Sacramentary Abolishment, et al.) pursued increasingly chaotic and destructive black/death metal sounds together, generally intending a more technical edge. The band would expand to a quartet before releasing a self-titled EP (‘Amphisbaena‘, 2015) which’d notably featured additional vocals from H.T. (Antediluvian, Revenge) and guitars from |LI|B|EL| both of whom also feature on this new release with the former now providing lead vocals. Ten years ago a throttled pace and maybe even “war metal” minded aggression was a pretty natural result from any worthy black/death coven but their work was otherwise notable for its somewhat experimental tact and far more compelling use of atmospheric drift, features which act as general seed for the exaggerations we find on ‘Rift‘ today. If you were a fan of Mitochondrion‘s second LP or Malthusian‘s ‘Below the Hengiform‘ EP you’ll likely still appreciate this band’s first release as well as some of the choices made on this comparatively tempered (as in strengthened) follow-up.

Density is perhaps the most reasonable consideration here as we learn that Amphisbaena have spent a decade working at their leisure on ‘Rift‘ and I state this first largely for the sake of their work constituting a surprisingly brief ~31 minute experience cut into two distinct enough halves. Considering one third of the album is comprised of ambiance where we find gloomed instrumentals and dissociative backward-set primal noise filling a solid ten minutes of its span much is accomplished in terms of fixating the mind and then releasing it in three stages. Though this is not a “riff” album through and through the interrelation of all pieces creates a compelling effect via the juxtaposition of brazen and whipped-hard guitar driven pieces and respite, a combination which echoes the effect of pieces like “The Devouring Will” from their EP while shedding some of their technical acumen.

This general sense of statement arrives first within the three-part “Rift” wherein part one “Wading the Deserts of Earth” develops a slow-burning climb, almost indicating a death-doom metal vision to start before a grinding pocket of riff n’ blast is found in the final third of the song. Though the pacing is something new the sound of Amphisbaena is generally preserved, though less tightly wound as we step into the pensive part two “Opening of the Eye” as our solemn walk through surreal realization which steadily ramps up toward “Ruinous Godlike Simulacra”, one of the more chaotically bellowed motions on the record. You’ve some sense of the experience and its heady oscillations in a nutshell right there, or, at least a practical example of how each piece relies on the last for its effect.

Over on Side B “Scaled Ekpyrotic Splinters” is otherwise the most complete example of these elements in concert, including the doomed blackened death roll of its first half and the slowly sinking cacophony of the second half where frantic lead guitars, layered modular synth and cyclically stated riffs begin to intensify toward the end. Sure, this echoes the structure of the opener to a large degree though the two pieces that follow avoid restating the same patternation. “Exponentially Falling… Upward” is easily the most patently grinding reach for doomed movement here, reading almost taking some of the estrangement of (the somewhat related) Black Death Cult and reducing it down to ritualistic dementia, a rant which escalates and then bursts apart at the end.

The full listen of ‘Rift‘ was mystifying to begin with, a contiguous yet erratic series of movements which only became coherent the more attention I’d paid to their inner workings. Absorbed as broader strokes the whole of Amphisbaena‘s debut LP feels precariously atmospheric yet purposed in its uglier bellowed haul and the mind-scanning search provided in between waves. The value of the experience was initially the juxtaposition of tone alongside wretched, at times over the top performances (esp. the vocals b/w odd rhythmic step) but the real impact here came with its ability to transport with familiar yet otherworldly sounds. I came away from it feeling some manner of tribulation had been expressed, that extreme lows and tumult were purposefully coalesced in order to convey excruciating passage and this seems to line up with some of the lyrics here as an inner legion is expressed in opposition.

Though I’d enjoyed ‘Rift‘ quite a bit per my appreciation for its larger dynamic it is particularly short. Even with a high density statement in hand it wouldn’t hurt to have had at least five more minutes of these sessions in ear before they’d faded away. The rugged yet clear organisch of its production values as well as fine cover art by Abomination Hammer create such a compelling world, and ultimately a doubly horrified voice for Amphisbaena, which I’d wanted more time with beyond slapping the repeat-all button. The effect is nonetheless above-average and their work admirable in terms of its conception, execution and curation as a fine debut statement from a band most’d considered long lost to the aether. A moderately high recommendation.

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