Enrobed in cavernous radiation and spewing mephitic herald to antichristian defilement this introductory sermon from Grodno, Belarus-based blackened death metal solo project RAHATY makes a decent case for its eruptive atmospheric force. For a debut EP ‘Bestial Lustmord‘ may very well bear the hip-shot feeling of a side project but that doesn’t stop the material here from generating a believable cacophony of bestial death noise and neo-death grooves on the truck through.

Rahaty is a side project from the fellowe behind raw black metal act Pa Vesh En, a repurposing of otherwise unfit ideas into atmospheric bestial death characterization. Rather than speak from the pulpit of canonical death metal these works explore the agnostic possibilities offered by solo “bedroom metal” wherein (seemingly) programmed drums and at-times unsure movement between nowadays traits leaves atmosphere as the main point of cohesion thus far. The general cacophonic black/death resultant feasibly splits the difference between the echoic crash of stuff like The Haunting Presence and chunkier neo-death and grind grooves found within Ruin Lust, Vermin Womb and such.

Relatively short pieces relay an oft straying ‘stream of consciousness’ approach to riffcraft which is best performed when set to a mid-pace (“Apostles of Blasphemy”) but most engaging at a trampling roll (“Scorched Beneath the Solar Seal“). Opener “Desecration Cannonade” is set up front for good reason as its feature of both modes lends Rahaty a thickly atmospheric chunk-forth to start but you’ll note that particular piece is doubly long and detailed compared with most of what follows on this ~22 minute EP. A more typical example of the project’s default is maybe “Sanctified in Blood” in that it dances between two main modes, manages some wild shrieking to stand out, but ultimately reads as a vignette for a light handful of riffs as it lands.

The blazing and messier blasting side of the project is the ear-gripper overall with songs like “Sigillum Hirci” slapping through the EP’s steady enough pace. A distinctive handle upon the riff never fully arrives beyond bestial mayhem here, so, an old school obsessed standard never fully arrives by my measure but Rahaty do ultimately find a point of view on the blur and grind through ‘Bestial Lustmord‘. For my taste the best stuff here holds back on the walking paced neo-death stamp of their ouevre though to be fair they never bop so hard that it mars the serious-faced abysm of sound applied, nor the juxtaposition that ultimately forms. Though I didn’t find this release stood out beyond its snappier grooves it was ultimately impressive as a solo shot debut statement. A moderately high recommendation.

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