Vexella regis prodeunt inferni — Denied all promise of deification and demoralized by corrupted divinity unto an abysmal state of bound servility São Paulo, Brazil-based atmospheric death metal duo FOSSILIZATION muse upon the cataclysmic and the conqueror to arise on this immense sophomore full-length album. ‘Advent of Wounds‘ offers an intensified set of extremes ‘ready established in previous work, an experience which tests the limits established as the band engage their cruel hand more readily while falling deeper into doom for effect. Though their approach may appear familiar at face value they’ve managed a superior second album, one which is strengthened by finer production values and lent a heightened sense of extremity which provides deeper than expected layers of intrigue, richer shades of darkness to return for.

Fossilization formed circa 2020 as a side-project spearheaded by V. of Jupiterian and original drummer P. (Riffcoven, Mortal Embodiment) in developing an oppressive atmospheric death/doom metal inspired sound. This was quickly realized by way of a well-received debut EP (‘He Whose Name Was Long Forgotten‘, 2021) praised for its creeping and cavernous sound a la Krypts and Dead Congregation, exaggerative evolutions of Incantation-spawned fundaments more-or-less. That sound was then expanded to a still slow-burning but overall more aggressive debut LP (‘Leprous Daylight‘, 2022) which I’d praised in review at the time, offering: “Per an obsession with the recesses of traditional high-dynamic death metal forms they’d achieve sentience in a well-trodden pool, threatening to grow legs in further adaptation of existing doomed expertise into deeper chasmic hurl.” suggesting that their work had sophisticated, deepened in effect despite raising the level of barbarous rhythmic violence. With this second LP they’ve widened the mouth of their chasm of resonance, heightening production values in order to better merge both doom and destruction into something fearsome, bestially summoned.

Opener “Cremation of a Seraph” arrives in cataclysmic surge, and immediate downward hail as V.‘s growls sink low and the torsion of their riffcraft follows in first careening then creeping flow. The bent of the main groove which develops, its waning verve in stamped-out stages brings a colossal presence outright yet still finds points to invaginate, to curl into smaller cede and let their thunderous sound ring as the song peaks nearby its end. As an opener this is more steeling, aggressive statement rather than a point of steady influx which serves as an admirable hammer indicating ‘Advent of Wounds‘ will be even more cruel than Fossilization‘s prior LP. “Disentombed and Reassembled by the Ages” reinforces this observation immediately after as its bestial death-whipped opening finds even deeper respite from brutality in approach of its midpoint. A characteristic piece from the artist but also a harder surge into those traits.

Those opening moments shouldn’t feel out of line for fans still obsessed with ‘Leprous Daylight‘ as they do not yet indicate some of the dissonant Immolation-esque guitar techniques which feature on the walk beyond that point. As Fossilization‘s musing on light’s corruption drone on so does their injection of doom and dissonance into form with “Scalded by His Sacred Halo” being one of the strongest plunges into doomed form in their discography to date. That isn’t to say that ‘Advent of Wounds‘ is a floaty, sluggish feat in any sense as these are overall their most densely writ and volatile acts thus far. The congested effect provided by the chugging triplets that greet the ear as “Terrestrial Mold” gears in almost recall the brutality of Brazilian death metal’s approach of the millennium for a moment eventually trading off that sensation with more Teitanblood-esque battery. Though I don’t intend a track-by-track here the flow afforded those first four pieces is columnar, stacked in its building pressurization and each song finds its point of both explosivity and obsidian-eyed despair.

You should recognize “Servo“, a late album piece I’d had the privilege of premiering last month, which finds us at a point of passage, a fall from a high place unto servitude to the oppressive divine. I’d described that song as a key hingepoint on the full listen as it replicates the gloom-stricken brutality of the opener while riding a different wave of momentum. There we get a more clear realization of my earlier comments on certain guitar techniques, uglier grooves and whammy-diving leads which feel like a paradigm shifting to darker climes in real-time and this directly translates to the final two pieces which act as the final level of despair, a loss of control and a true low point. This is also where I’d felt the new drummer (no idea who it is) flexes a bit more in both directions, more fleet footed hammering and technical jabs which keep the momentum going as Fossilization continue to carve and flood their way through the second half of the album.

The full listen here is a different sort of suffocating assail, an atmospherically charged and heaving beast of concerted action which yet finds its point of differentiation in nuance and I’d say nuance which you might actually miss within the clobber and purge of the first couple of spins. There is some longevity to be found in chasing some of the more obscured details within each song, such as the instrumentation which piques at the end of “Servo”, as ‘Advent of Wounds‘ might bear clarified production values but only seems to have tucked more into every moment it burns through. While there is some direct thrill to be found in the first half I’d found myself recollecting the final three songs most for the way they appear to weave into more involved, obscured progressions and interruptive riffcraft. Fossilization have without question outdone their previous album, an already brilliant work, here in most respects as their vision broadens and impact deepens. A very high recommendation.

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