Polterchrist--Engulfed By The Swarm
Season Of Mist 2004
It's not an easy thing for a band to incorporate unorthodox elements typically found outside their given sound into the music they play. Still, this adventurous spirit is often the key to originality. On Engulfed By The Swarm, Polterchrist show they're not just following the crowd. Quite the contrary, these guys have carved their own niche, straight out of the gate.
Stylistically, Polterchrist ply a unique brand of blackend death metal. Not only do the band utilize black metal screams and death grunts on Engulfed By The Swarm, they also inject some very clean vocals into the mix. Likewise, you'll find heavily chorused clean guitar pasages, on top of the devastating distortion featured throughout this listen. Ultimately, a sense of melodicism practically unheard of amongst their peers is the thing that really makes this band special. Don't take that wrongly, though--this isn't attempting to be some crappy mainstream fodder. Still, Engulfed By The Swarm will be an easier click for most casual fans of these styles, while simultaneously remaining comfortably underground in its execution and outcome.
As with most music this heavy, it's the moments of noticable quirk which serve as greatest cause for pause. Enter Polterchrist's aforementioned brushes with something a bit more melodic. Synthesizer swells and a clean chorused guitar line that recalls Metallica's ...And Justice For All-era mark the opening of "Terminal." The most effective and sustained integration of these elements occurs on "Desolate Paradise." Keeping it much more subdued than normal for the entire first half of the song, before getting back to business as usual, this one turns out to be Engulfed By The Swarm's most accessible offering. Don't worry if you want straight-up blitzkrieg--the whirling dervish of "The Battle," as well as the brutal title track, will leave you pummeled--additive free.
Fans of both black and death metal will very much appreciate Engulfed by The Swarm. If you tend to shy away from those genres, Polterchrist have made it just a hair easier here for you to hop onboard with the program, too. Sickly heavy stuff, but maybe most importantly, very damn fresh. Give this a shot.
Score this CD directly from SEASON OF MIST
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