Patristic - Catechesis

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Patristic is a blackened death metal band from Italy who formed in 2022. “Catechesis,” is their full-length debut; they also released an EP in 2022.

Most notably, this band features Hideous Divinity guitarist Enrico Schettino. If that isn't enough to make you pay attention, then you suck or don't like extreme metal. Actually, why not both?  At any rate, you’ll have to really like extreme metal to truly appreciate this beast of an album.  It is dense, layered, and dissonant.  Even the production is a monster:  it’s thick with atmosphere yet manages to capture every little detail.  It’s your ears that will be the problem:  human beings just can’t listen to this much awesome in one setting and get everything needed.  “Catechesis,” needs multiple listens—which is good, because this album more than deserves those extra spins.


The opening song, “A Vinculis Soluta I,” kicks the album off with clean but sinister tones.  The foreshadowing here is amazing—you can just tell the song is about to explode.  The drumming goes a long way in helping build up these events.  I love the tempo…it’s not exactly slow but it’s also not barreling through…very subtle and methodical in it’s pain delivery system. Of course, that changes soon as the band reaches a fury that could cause whiplash.  

 

The ending of the song also reveals something very cool:  every track flows into the next one…it’s almost like one long song but each one is individually stronger on their own.  Perhaps it’s more like an act, or a play then.  Regardless, the smoothness of the album’s flow is amazing, especially considering just how extreme the music is and what it has to offer.


The talent of the members cannot be understated.  Each person gives an insane performance—these guys are tight and seem very comfortable together even when the music gets super unnerving. 


The songs that make up the album’s title are the bulk of the album and that’s where things get really interesting.  “Catechesis I,” begins with some unique tones and atmosphere, sort of misty and mysterious with a tribal effect.  It’s harrowing with a natural feel to it so the brutality that soon accompanies it doesn’t seem out of place but does seem necessary. The bass guitar tone is sweltering too, adding an ominous landscape to the proceedings.  The vocals are insane—clear, concise, brutal with surgical precision but feel weighty and threatening. 


I don’t want to give too much away about this album—this is music that is better to be experienced before reading reviews because there is nothing I can say that can really accurately depict what is going on.   


With that benign said, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the final song, which is the fourth part of the “Catechesis” saga.  It’s just a big ol epic slab of blackened death, a representation of the power of the genre and the album itself.   The spoken word parts mix in so goddamn well with the music, which is towering as it is heavy—stark, unseemly extreme metal that just sort of sinks into the bones.


“Catechesis,” has so much going for it, so much to explore, that listening to it could be considered a hobby.  If you like music with a lot of depth and a lot to offer the listener, this album is going to blow your mind.  


Rating:   Masterful
















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