VILIFIER from Brisbane, Down Under is an outfit that has been around already since 2007, playing Ancient Barbaric Death Metal as they call it. After a demo and a live tape, they now present their first official EP "Ritual Obscuration" via Forgotten Wisdom Productions in digipak format. Somehow these guys remind me of DARKTHRONE back in 1991. Not as a copy of their sound but due to the fact, that they play Death Metal, but not being confident with the classic sound of it and looking for other ways to get their material produced in a rawer way. The production is more suiting for Black Metal bands looking for a raw production. The microphones seem to have been placed far away from the drums, so the sound is dirty and fits more into early Black Metal productions, even though the blast beat attacks and pounding double-bass are missing. But it seems that they started as a pure Death Metal outfit and are moving slowly into a rawer Black Metal kind of sound now, similar to DARKTHRONE back then. The vocals are also more Black Metal influenced. The opener ‘Bloodvomit Evocation’ is a clearly Black Metal influenced song, while tracks like ‘Lacerated Flesh Of The Ancient Wisdom’ and the title track ‘Ritual Obscuration’ are influenced by classic Death Metal, sounding very old school and like old tracks from the Finnish Death Metal scene. The last track ‘Twilight Dancer Of Cosmic Devastation’ again goes into the Black Metal direction. Most of material is mid-tempo and a dirty and rotten sounding bastard of blackend Death Metal. If you are into this kind of hellish stuff!!
Ancient, obscure and ritualistic Black Metal of death from Brisbane, Australia. With member of Lustration. As a rough comparison, VILIFIER could be compared to a mix of VASSAFOR, early DIOCLETIAN, with the primitive hatred of LUSTRATION!
Spawning forth chaotic, putrid and blasphemous death metal that conjures the spirits of old Beherit and Profanatica, this will be the 4th onslaught by Brisbaneâ™s VILIFIER.
Members also perform/have played in the following bands:
Abysm
Kingdom Of Decay
Lustration
Blasmer
Demonreich
Incantation’s essential “Onward to Golgotha” is a benchmark upon which much of the most sinister, dread atmospherics in death metal emanates. It is hard not to be thrilled by the barely discernible rumble of chords and tremolos over muffled percussion led by deep and guttural “whispers.” And Australia’s Vilifier’s sound is heavily indebted to those same stylistic choices that have again found favor in recent years. Even though the mixed growl/scream of vocalist (aka Daniel Stone) does not match the much-imitated vomit of Craig Pillard, they are more than appropriate. The result is impressive, subterranean muck similar to what many other Australian bands like Impetuous Ritual, Grave Upheaval or Canada’s Antediluvian unleash currently upon the hapless world. In keeping with lower level fidelity is of course a plus, as without it the totality of darkness would be interrupted by light. There are moments of varying intensity however: mosh riffs/rhythms played at fuzzed out levels is effective in ‘Lacerated Flesh of Ancient Wisdom’ as a bridge between abstraction and physicality. The excellent clanging blasts of opener ‘Bloodvomit Evocation’ are thrilling and should be used more in my opinion. The title track is both a highlight and a dead ringer musically for the aforementioned “Golgotha,” and would not be out of place in early 90’s New York.
There is nothing revolutionary here, but as users of one of the most menacing and abstracted of death metal’s many varieties, Vilifier prove themselves capable stewards. Intelligent use of atmospheric space (the cacophonous echo that all sounds fade into) and subdued elements like buried leads in ‘Twilight Dancer of Cosmic Devastation” add to the recording. Without thought like that, the murk would appear shallow. The struggle for such a band is to play a part in the further development of the style without losing themselves within potential monotony. How will the band will evolve (or devolve) further into the dark kingdoms which they have sworn themselves to? Keep it coming gentlemen.
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