Ter Ziele - Embodiment of Death

Ter Ziele is a blackened doom/post-metal band from the Netherlands who formed in 2020.  Their latest album, “Embodiment of Death,” is their debut full-length album; they have also released a split album.

This is one stark and abrasive album.  It’s slow with rough, jagged edges to the riffs that compliments the hopeless atmosphere. The rhythms pound in their steady beats, a constant reminder of the music from which they are born. 

If I’m being honest, “Embodiment of Death,” is one of the more harrowing and emotionally devastating albums I’ve heard this year.   It’s almost gut-wrench, pain and loss in audio format. 

The press release listed a quote that said, “When we, as humans, accept subjection to suffering, resignation in life inevitably follows.”

That’s a powerful notion and the music that brings it to life is its equal.  Is there a choice to accept suffering?  Can a person choose not to suffer even if their conditions say otherwise?  Or is there nothing to do but give yourself to it?  Perhaps it depends on the situation?  Some suffering can be eased or willed away but, at other times, it just cannot be anything other than what it is.  Is accepting suffering as another facet of life the same as resignation?  Or is it a form of clarity?  Is ignoring suffering toxic positivity?  Or is it being a realist?  Is toxic realism a danger? 

These are the things this album made me ask and question.  Doom metal, even as far as the underground is concerned, is still a niche genre.  It still gets a bad rep to this day.  But albums like this showcase it’s true emotional prowess.  This is powerful music.  This is life.  This is death.  This is how you fucking doom. 

Since it’s only five songs, I will speak a little about each of them.  It’s also under 40 mins in length so even people who shy away from doom because of its often time long winded approach will find this more palpable, at least in terms of runtime.  But it will wreck you emotionally and sonically  You’ve been warned. 

The album opens with the intro song, “As Long As I Breathe.”  Instrumentally speaking, it is the only moment of respite offered by the album.  However, as far as the atmosphere goes, it’s just as twisted and scarred as the full songs.  

“The Separation of Body and Soul,” follows the intro and we get the first taste of the album’s powerful statements.  The vocals alternate between blackened screams and low growls as the music ebbs and flows like a slow moving death.

The bass is an encompassing void, complimented by the drums which offer their own stark movements against the towering monuments of dread. The final half of the song is pretty damn crushing, offering sludge poured into the doom for an extra dense wall of extremity. 

“Of Noumenon Reality,” opens with clean but cold and despondent guitars.  I love how the vocals are echoed in the back, coming in from so far away.  The drums bring the full sound in as the vocals hit hard in the mix.  The whole band comes together here for this 12 minute song.  The first six minutes or so are melancholic as they are dark but the halfway mark pulls back for a few precious seconds to let the clawing vocals bleed through before the stakes are raised.  Who says doom can’t get the heart pumping?  This song does but with fear and suffering creating the rising action before cooling off into a wonderful melodic section that’s drenched in sorrow.

The intro notwithstanding, “This Mortal Coil,” is the shortest song on the album at just over 5 minutes.  It’s no less potent and just as important as the others.  It does a lot in a small amount of time, making itself one of the more atmospheric songs here. However, it boosts the tempo a little bit too so I think this is a good song to use to dive into the album if you’re unfamiliar.  

The final song, “As Long As I Breathe, I Am To Suffer,” embodies everything the album is about.  It’s a fitting in and perhaps the best song on the album.  Despite its slow tempo, it has a sense of urgency that’s infectious.  The riffs are slick as hell, the vocals drip acid on them and the rhythm section is a rolling bone crushing machine.   

The music is poetic, a dynamic combination of light and dark sounds that feed off each other.  The halfway mark is especially great, clean tones over the bass guitar that builds up the tension amazingly well. 

Ter Ziele’s “Embodiment of Death,” is a testament to all the things we humans face on a daily basis.  Are we going to give up or fight through it?  That’s up to you.  But if the human condition gives us great music like this then I’d have to say that suffering is a necessary evil. 

Rating: Excellent