How the fuck is it that 3 my favorite albums of 2009 are self released (two being Kalisia and Be’lakor) and one of them, Cephalectomy’s An Epitaph to Tranquility is a FREE FUCKING DOWNLOAD????? That’s right. The full length follow up to 2004 excellent Eclipsing the Dawn (not counting the 28 minute single track, The Dream Cycle Mythos), from these Sylvain Houde era Kataklysm worshipping Canadians is free.
Self described as “Northern Mystigrind”, Cephalectomy’s admitted Kataklysm worship is a mix of technical death metal, grindcore and dare I say epic, melodic metal. Take Kataklysm’s Sorcery or Lykathema Aflame’s Elvenefris and throw in grindcore’s shortened direct songs and some ridiculously out of place but somehow perfectly fitting and epic harmonies and you have the almost unclassifiable Cephalectomy.
Where as Eclipsing the Dawn had some relatively drawn out long 4-5 minute songs, An Epitaph to Tranquility doesn’t mess around, delivering 12 short stabs (11 of the 13 tracks are under 3 minutes) of chaotically epic craziness that blend together, complete with numerous atmospheric interludes and it all somehow works.
Again, the programmed drums blend in seamlessly with the vortex of grinding melodies that present a challenging dichotomy; grindcore this chaotic, shouldn’t be this melodic and…. well… catchy. It’s like shred-riffic band such as Dragonforce were to play insane grindcore with huge unearthly growls and screams and a backdrop of Lovecraftian ooze and psychosis.
After the delicate, misleading intro “The Obliterating Swarm”, “The Splintered Pupil” sets the batshit insane tone as does the acoustic stop start grind of “A Submergence of Will” and the totally melodic blast of “The Accumulated Conscience” which reminded me of “Of Grievance and Exhumation (The Fallen)” from Eclipsing the Dawn. This ridiculously enjoyable formula is fleshed out by a majority of the tracks (the Rambo introduced vortex “Feast of the Saints”, “Architects of Abomination”, “Son of Tellervo”, “A Loathsome Ceremony”), but, as if their enigmatic, insane take in grindcore wasn’t enough, Cephalectomy show they can be restrained also with the likes the already mentioned intro track, the almost Bal-Sagoth-ish instrumental “For Our Fetid Fathers”, somber closure of “The Freedom of Enlightenment” and the surprisingly delicate outro to the otherwise mind fucking “The Urchin Peel”.
Fans of genre bending quirkiness and mind melting creativity should go ahead and grab this release now before a label slaps a sticker on it and charges you $15. How often will you get an album this good for free (legally)?
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Seems like it’s time to start Teeth Of The Divine Records. The first three releases would be Kalisia, Be’lakor and Cephalectomy. The fourth one might be The Pax Cecilia. All you guys have to do is slap the $15 sticker on the CD!
on Oct 26th, 2009 at 09:14I downloaded this last week and I haven’t listened to anything else since. This is some of the most interesting, intriguing, infectious, listenable grind I’ve ever come across. A few spots throughout the album really bring to mind Hybrid, who’s ‘8th Plague’ was one of my favorites of 2008.
on Oct 26th, 2009 at 11:06Yeah definately The pax Cecilia, maybe The Living Fields (unless the candlelight deal went through) Brazen Bull and The Fifth Sun
on Oct 26th, 2009 at 19:56Teeth of the Divine records! It would be godlike!
on Oct 27th, 2009 at 00:07This reminds me a bit of Fist in Fetus. Maybe that’s because both albums are free super-loony-death-grind downloads with drum machines that I found through this site. Cool stuff.
on Oct 27th, 2009 at 14:45On my third listen now. Just keeps getting more brutal!
on Oct 27th, 2009 at 15:53I want a physical copy in my hands. I don’t bother with downloads of anything.
on Nov 16th, 2009 at 20:09