Enthrallment: People from the Lands of Vit

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

As it devours the senses and leaves heavy intense punctures upon the psyche the new album from Bulgarian death metal band Enthrallment has one eagerly succumbing to its immense power and oppressive presence. People from the Lands of Vit shares nothing but darkness, brutal energy, and a devastating consumption of the ear and beyond. It is not a pleasant experience but totally hypnotic and a trigger for the blackest thoughts to come out and play.

Enthrallment brings sounds borne from early nineties death metal with a technical skill and vindictive intent. It takes no prisoners and expects only submission before its mountainous riffs and crushing mass and receives it willingly. People from the Lands of Vit, the third album from the band lays colossal pummeling rhythms, stampeding heavyweight riffs, and incisive melodic violations upon the senses from the start and is unrelenting until it leaves a shattered shell behind with its final note. The release drives with a blistering energy and charging pace throughout, a blackened arm of sounds on the march. It is incessant and merciless but veins each track with grooves and spears of invention that light up the pit black presence surrounding them. It is a glorious assault that from a nod of initial recognition becomes more magnetic and compulsive the more time and effort given its way.

To be honest the album lingers only in breath and is a mere shadow once it departs, no song or moment lingering beyond its aural intimidation of the ear but whilst in its company there is never less than intrigue and satisfying violent enjoyment. From the opening surging malefaction of Chronicle of Sorrow flesh is scarred and senses numbed, the scorched guitar invention scouring the wounds with incisive thought and skill. It lights up emotions and imagination as it ruptures veins and infests thoughts but once it passes its weaponry onto the following Devoted To Delusion, another rampaging infestation, memories of it are lost. In its company though, it is a breathless excursion into the malicious and corrosive dark.

Enthrallment leaves no part of the mind and feelings untouched as the songs continually rattle inner cages and rains explosive rhythms and thunderous riffs down on their recipients. Tracks such as the exhausting Psychological Storm, the uncompromising A Full Land Of Worms… From The River To The Void, and the excellent Obsessed By Just Anger with a driven energy any express train would find hard to keep pace with, leave welcome craters upon the body with an undeniable force and malevolent intention. Every second of the aggression as well as thoughtful play beneath is rewarding and pleasing if not lingering.

It is fair to say there is not anything openly new about the album but nor is it predictable and repetition of anything found elsewhere. The guitar work of Vasil Furnigv and Andrey Gegov is well crafted and instinctive whether pummeling or blistering the ear with scything melodies whilst the rhythms from bassist Rumen make an eager companion to the hungry drum attacks of Vo Ivanov. With the guttural crawls and prowling delivery of vocalist Plamen Bakardzhiev adding layers of intensity to the already formidable sounds the result is more than satisfactory.

Released through United Guttural Records, People From The Lands Of Vit is a worthy entrant into the mass of death metal albums already brutalising the year to date. It might not be the most startling and innovative album but Enthrallment ensure it is one of the most enjoyable.

RingMaster 23/05/2012