Heteropsy - Embalming

Heteropsy is a Japanese death/doom band who formed in 2020.  After releasing four EPs and a split album, they are ready to drop their massive full-length debut album, “Embalming.’  The band’s brand of extremity combines the classic HM-2 Finnish death metal sound with death/doom for a style their press release called “Mourning Death metal.”  Sure, why not?  Whatever you want to call it: this album is the balls. 

The atmosphere is both suffocating and eerie; if I was alone in a cave and fell down a pit and broke both my legs and had nothing to eat but a peanut butter sandwich, this album would probably be playing in the background.  Until my phone went dead, then I would also die.

Anyway, “Embalming,” has a unique flavor to it at times.  The first song, “The Dawning,” has a killer solo and galloping riffs, sounding like an extreme version of NWOBHM but ends with crashing drums and doomy riffs as it fades into the first full-length song, “Pandemonium Alter.” 

The distorted riffs are perfectly enhanced by the production, that is settled somewhere between raw (ish) and the feeling I would probably get if my back was crushed by a boulder.  But seriously, this song has a slow, massive groove that often takes a step off the beaten path to throw in furious bits of speed.  The song drifts in and out of dismal passages and a keen ferocity, bringing out its natural harrowing nature.

“Asphyxia,” is a banger of a song and utilizes the lead guitar well, adding a distinct layer to the guitars—the song sounds frenzied without being overly chaotic.  As the seconds tick by, the song slowly moves towards faster and groovier pieces, until the halfway mark when the gates of hell burst for optimum punishment.  The solo near the end caps the song off perfectly, descending the song further into the lava depths.

“Seventh Damnation,” is all groove, all the time. The vocals are wild as hell too with both deep growls and clawing screams.  That groove slows down around the halfway mark for one of the best moments of the album.  Death metal really doesn't get any heavier than this.  I really appreciate how focused the song is on the bass guitar too, not content on just bubbling beneath the service but instead rumbling on top like a musical earthquake. 

“Old Friends,” is a fantastic way to end the album by adding subtle hints of melody without sacrificing the album’s obvious dark tones.  It’s used just enough to heighten the atmosphere and it’s not a Gothenburg style melody but instead one that acts as a light beckoning to your demise.  The middle passage is quite surprising, but the more ambient tones presented in the moment make sense in context of the song and the solo is something else.

Heteropsy’s ”Embalming,” is a death/doom album that trends its own path, resulting in a very rewarding listen that warrants many, many return trips to its evil landscapes.

Rating: Excellent