Begrime Exemious: Visions Of The Scourge

By RingMaster Review on May 23, 2012 • ( 0 )

Having just been chewed up, spat out and then violated eight brutal times the idea of saying good things about Visions Of The Scourge, the new album from Canadian black metal band Begrime Exemious is impossible. But as always bad is good and there is no hiding away from the fact that through all the crippling and intrusive infestation of the album the lack of enjoyment was never an issue.

Visions Of The Scourge is one of the rawest cancerous releases to coat the ear in venom and filth in a long while. With sounds as caustic and nasty as a cheese grater on flesh the album offers no escape or relief from its malevolence and dehabilitating intensity. It is a bestial mass of thunderous riffs and senses scything melodies not to mention offering the foulest vehement vocals to escape the pit, the result a blend of hatred and dirt so immense it makes the silence after its departure scream just as loud.

Formed in 2005 the band has seemingly had a constant change in line-up over its years, circumstances seeing members leave and return, and new ones brought in and leave. Reading their bio it is quite confusing at times and hard to state exactly who all the members are who recorded Visions Of The Scourge. Despite this the band constantly impressed live and with their demos and releases. The 2008 EP Set Ablaze The Kingdom Of Abraham drew great attention and led to the band uniting with Dark Descent Records. The following year saw the recording of their debut album Impending Funeral Of Man with its well received release coming in 2010.

Again released with Dark Descent the new album is a ravenous bestial corruption which is as coarse and raw as it is intense and destructive. It is not devoid of production but the natural and instinctive malice and aural atrocity of the sound is allowed a free rein and it only adds to the release. With a cleaner more precise production the album would just not have the rabid bite it has and the result would be a limping beast instead of the monster that it is. You feel as if you are right there as they unleash the sounds live and hungry upon the ear, the violent storm assaulting every pore.

Opening on Incestuous Servitude the album grips hard from the start, the instant groove squeezing the ear until it is ready to pop. The track and the album as a whole drips old school black metal malevolence and sound. It whips the senses with scorched melodic swipes and barracks synapses with vindictive rhythms, whilst the vocals come from the darkest nightmare, bile and drool soaking the ear with every scowled spiteful word. The track sets the tone for the whole release, the consumptive assault unbridled.

The album is slightly inconsistent with some tracks bringing a greater pleasure and invention than others. Tracks like Oath Of Impiety with its addictive bass riffs and Chasm To Obscurity have more than their share of fine moments to fall under but they do not quite ignite the raging flames as others manage to do.

Highlights if you can have those in a release without light and mercy come in the shape of The Vault Of Ancient Bone And Poisoned Saliva with its poisoned hooks and insatiable groves, the punk blistered Perverted Decadence Churning, and Sacrament of Virgin Flesh with its salt in open wound effect on the senses. Beneath the unrelenting infernal violation of the ear Begrime Exemious conjure up some stunning acidic and spiteful melodic invention to distract the ear whilst the rest of the intensity rips through places it has no right to be in.

It is hard to say you can enjoy Visions Of The Scourge, the damage it causes too extensive and lingering but Begrime Exemious make sure you will not or want to forget the experience. And as to whether one would want to share time with it again….want has nothing to do with it as one will and welcomingly often.

RingMaster 23/05/2012