Nothingness "Godslaughter" Review
Reviews by: Matthew Spraungel, Writer @mattysprinkles
Edited by: Andrew Perrizo, Owner/Editor @melodicnoisemedia
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Indulgence in the creation and consumption of art belonging to the grotesquerie form, is to hold a mirror up to modern life. As is the aim of Minneapolis death metal sextet Nothingness. True to that aim, their third full length album Godslaughter, rest assured, is very gross indeed.
The band worship at the storied church of OSDM (Old School Death Metal), self-styling their particular form of punishment as “Digressive Death”. There is naturally, a near ritualistic adherence to unrelenting brutality in their music. Where they differ from many of their peers however, is in the sophistication of their songwriting, and the sure-handed competence of their performances. On a surface level, Nothingness employ the caveman like heaviness of many of their contemporaries, sonically bludgeoning your skull into pulp. All the while they are sneaking copious amounts of elegant, extremely thoughtful musical ideas in under the rug.
Much as the title suggests, album opener “Incinerated Immediately” wastes no time delivering on its weighty promise. The obtuse thirty second fake string overture that opens many a modern death metal record has no place here. Instead, rolling double kicks, beneath a trancelike half time groove, trudging chugs foreshadow the violence to come. Under two minutes long, this is the shortest, and most modest of the nine tracks that make up Godslaughter. Immediacy indeed. “Convulsing Putrefaction” completely disregards the pace of its predecessor, hypnotic guitar runs ascend and descend over the first of many rhythmic gauntlets by drummer Jason Hirt, and bassist Jon Grandel. While speed is definitely a primary mover, Nothingness can really spin a mean groove. Tracks like “Skull Evulsion”, and “Vanquishing Providence” are designed for the mugging of meanness, and the banging of one’s head. Testaments both to Nothingness’ ability to reinvent the formula from track to track, while never sounding like anything but themselves. There is however, one constant across Godslaughter: The riff is king.
Guitarist, and primary songwriter, Alex Lewandowski, spins a vast web of grime. Cavernous dissonance often gives way to so-hideous-it’s-glorious melody, hammering maliciously, and gliding effortlessly. Across cuts like “Trenchant Gulch”, and “Divine Irresponsibility” one could almost be forgiven for thinking two separate brains penned these tunes, almost. Godslaughter is sequenced so as to patiently unfurl its carefully constructed chaos. As the runtimes steadily grow longer, so too does the complexity and ambition of each composition. There is of course, zero clean singing to be found. Still, that's not to say the one note death growl, which can grow tiring across an entire record, is not without company here. Barclay Olson gives an extremely varied vocal performance across the record. Not once across snarl, shriek, or growl does he sound anything but completely convicted and honed to the disgusting nth degree, spewing vomitous depravity all over the riff salad on tracks “Incredible Violence” and “Umbral Spear”. It rocks!
This outfit is a complex beast, disguised as a brutish neanderthal. They are in touch with and respectful of their roots, while simultaneously creating their own distinctive voice within their selected genre. Cacophonous horror, spiraling madness, grimey tumult, all of the usual suspects, yet somehow rife with immediate, extremely choice identifying hallmarks. Performed with a wide breadth of confident vision, and as deft of hands as one could reasonably ask for, this is another triumphant turn in the Nothingness catalog. Very heavy, very gross, and very very cool.
Godslaughter out now on Everlasting Spew Records
