Vanitas is the fourth album from Polish death metal act In Twilight’s Embrace. Containing eight tracks of ferocious misery, it’s a hard-hitting collection and the release date is perfect as we start the slide into winter.
The majority of tracks are of the very heavy variety – an absolute torrent of non-stop, fast-paced riffing and harsh vocals. There are three tracks which are different: the comparatively light “Flesh Falls, No Ghost Lifts” which mixes blast beats with slower spoken sections, “Fan the Flames” with a slight doomy tone, and atmospheric instrumental number “The Rift”.
The remainder of the album, though, is brutal – perhaps verging more into the extreme end of the scale. Opener “The Hell of Mediocrity” is typical of those other seven tracks. Straight in with the face-flaying, and with pretty much no let-up for the remainder. When the pace does let up, briefly, the overall tone is still particularly malevolent.
Despite this ferocious onslaught of madness, the songs remain almost earworm-y. In Twilight’s Embrace have managed to weave rhythm and cohesion into chaos, alongside a signature tone which marks each track as one of their own.
This is an album to soak in; to just lay back and listen to. Great musicianship, quality production and a pervading sense of misery which demands to be wallowed in.
Vanitas is out on September 22nd
In Twilight’s Embrace: facebook | bandcamp
