Ferrying black-fired invocations beyond the threshold of the underworld in order to illuminate the unknown Ljubljana, Slovenia-based blackened death metal quartet ENSANGUINATE summon the dark wills of a triumvirate of occult feminine idols to suit their expanding collective capability and consciousness on this admirably crafted sophomore full-length album. Developed beyond the strictures of a mad-thrashing past and with some obsession with Swedish black/death metal burning in mind ‘Death Saturnalia (With Temples Below)‘ is the third-stage realization of their ambitions which naturally includes chaotic blackened death, melodic black metal as well as nodes of occult rock. Though their greater revelation might appear familiar in some of its methodology and aesthetic sense these folks’ve created something brilliantly energetic and fearsome from their alchemic ambitions, another full-bodied leap unto their already impressive evolutionary sojourn.

Ensanguinate formed circa 2020 between musicians who’d been involved in thrash metal groups Panikk, Hellsword, and Eruption as those current/ex-members conspired to create a form of black/death metal that’d reflected their interest in Swedish death metal to start. Their love of thrashing classics-minded death metal bands like Repugnant should’ve been obvious enough on their debut EP/demo (‘Entranced by Decay‘, 2020) but that sound would mutate toward shades of early Morbid Angel, Dissection and even shades of occult rock as those songs were refined and expanded for their debut LP. ‘Eldritch Anatomy‘ (2022) was one of those random records that shows randomly during the busier part of the year but couldn’t be ignored landing on my best of September list that year where I’d suggested their work: “appears to pull from the primary drivers of romanticist and eldritch European death metal of the ’90-’93 era” landing it in the #20 spot. That album deserved more attention so I’ve ensured plenty of time to scour this follow-up and scry its brilliant innards.

The major first impression given by most every Ensanguinate release to date carries some fealty to the quality and expressivity found in Swedish extreme metal in general and despite a surprising evolutionary stage occurring in-between their first and now second LPs ‘Death Saturnalia‘ reflects this core taste even more readily. This time around they’ve more thoroughly taken that thrashing death metal mania into the realm of black metal and in the process create a wrathful, chaotic mutation which should recall the best of bands like Degial in their ‘Predator Reign‘ era as opener “Angel of a Thousand Poisons” breaks through. That said you’ll find an occult rock inspired break in the middle of the piece, bluesy solo and all, which helps to recalibrate closer to maybe an album like ‘The Formulas of Death‘ for a moment. That initial combination of wrathful juddering riff and slide into sweeter pastures proves intoxicating as the band expand this suggested ouevre over the course of the full listen.

“On Wings of Bone” reinforces said effect but instead veers toward an almost (later) Negative Plane-meets-Nifelheim take on speed/black metal hooks guiding their otherwise berserker fed movement, a throttled and chasmic sound given a sinister melodic hand. By the fourth track (“Rooted in Accursed Ground”) your mind should be fully shocked into racing thoughts by their poisonous accost, an unexpected level of aggression which further evolves beyond the blasting rushes found on ‘Eldritch Anatomy‘ as they slime and slither through rocking and stabbing motions. Ensanguinate‘ve never sounded this practiced and capable, keeping in mind the previous album smoked, and a big part of this is perhaps drummer Grega Cestnik (Snøgg) who truly impresses without reconfiguring the band’s signature whipped-at craft. The whole of Side A is on a roll, an experience of impure volatility with some manner of goddess-meted channeling of black magickry in mind and a snarling orator howling downward.

Side B briefly relaxes its twitching musculature as it kicks off, taking a chance to pull away from the chaotic summoning of the first half for more patiently wrung and controlled moments per the sidewinding “Gloaming”, a song folks will maybe compare to Tribulation (or similar) for some of its rocking riffs and chill-yet-barreling passage. While I’d found that particular song memorable in its main riff progression it was hard to step around the spectacle created by the 9+ minute “The Whip and the Pendulum” which follows, their shot at a thrashing blackened death epic complete with an extended atmospheric break, dark electric organ grinding. At this point you’ll start to see the bigger picture of their path realizing in gentler steps where each of these songs begin to incorporate elements of dreary occult rock into their pathos, not exactly death n’ roll in any sense but a willingness to break apart brutality and snarling acts with headier movement. The most complete transformation in this regard is maybe closer “Daughter to Cain”, the peak of their steady release of emboldened acts which includes cleaner deadpan vocals and snappier speed metallic riffs.

Graced by a logo/title void cover artwork from the venerable Dávid Glomba depicting the traits of three deities known for destruction (and the balance they brings) no doubt ‘Death Saturnalia (With Temples Below)‘ and its illustration call for the exact right mood of tact and terror Ensanguinate‘ve brought herein. The overall effect of the album, its generally sharp flow from piece-to-piece and the style they’ve expanded certainly does benefit from specific taste in Scandinavian extreme metal’s evolution but that doesn’t stop their work from entertaining with its own brazen personage. What roots their work and what ambitions they’ve mapped out for the future are both equally evident here and for my own taste that makes for an ideal second LP where their present reality is ‘unstable’ in its concoct and strictures are coming unbound into some manner of revelation. A high recommendation.

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