Cult Burial - Collapse of Pattern, Reverence of Dust

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I was a fan of Cult Burials' previous album, 2023's “Reverie of the Malignant,” and have been looking forward to a new one ever since.

It doesn't disappoint. The atmosphere across the album is incredible. I've said this before in other reviews but as much as I love death metal I feel like sometimes it's not as extreme as it should be, if that makes sense. 

Obviously by default death metal is extreme but what I mean is a lot of the danger that made death metal so infamous in the first place seems to be missing in these modern times now.  One could argue that's because of a lot of influence from the modern side of metal or it could just be simply be caused a lot of the original death metal bands or just getting older. There is nothing wrong with that per say but I always appreciate it when I hear a new death metal album that feels deadly dangerous and dark.

"Collapse of Pattern Reverence of Dust," at least for me, is one of those albums that truly feels like it's death metal I was always meant to be: Supremely crushing, totally against the grain with an atmosphere that would appeal to only those with a love for the style.

The band still retains much of its doom elements, especially in terms of instrumental tone and general vibe, but this album seems a bit faster and more aggressive.

It's also a layered album with a depth that matches its extremity. The guitars go a long way in provoding the music with a raw, archaic feel—as do the vocals, which are absolutely perfect.

“Vincula,” makes a startling statement. A blast of bass guitar scatters out through the atmosphere before the vocals and drums steamroll the song. I love the tone of this song–urgent and uncompromising.  There is a sense of futility and decay that permeates throughout, a theme that keeps reoccurring throughout the album.

I like how the band isn't afraid to step outside the box when needed. “Aether,” begins with a foggy veil cast over the clean intro. Soon the band is full speed ahead, running through a gauntlet while still using liminal spaces to let the song breathe enough for every element to sink in. The guitar solo is a killer melodic whirlwind…and the drums crashing behind them just up the energy even more. 

If it isn't obvious from the first song, this is a bass heavy album. On “Enthrall,” the band is unrelenting but the bass always keeps their dense, tight sound front and center.  From this epicenter, the rest of the song unfurls in a very natural way.

The final song, “Seethe,” begins with a surprising amount of melody and atmosphere. The slow buildup takes nothing away from the song and, in fact, makes it better.  The anticipation pays off with one of the more harrowing songs on the album. 

Cult Burial's “Collapse of Pattern, Reverence of Dust” is death metal supremacy and further cements the fact that Cult Burial is one of the best death metal bands in the modern age. 

Rating:  Excellent








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