Review: Ossuary – Abhorrent Worship
Over the last decade or so I’ve been kinda burned out on death metal due to the whole “old-school DM” thing that really hit a fever pitch in the months before and after the 2020 pandemic. Barring a couple of really good bands that broke through, and some unsung smaller acts, the whole thing got very tiresome, but that doesn’t mean that bands shouldn’t keep making death metal, and finding that needle in the haystack is always a nice feeling. Enter Ossuary, no, not that one; no, not that one either; yes, that Ossuary! Jokes aside, this project shares some members with cult favorites psych doom merchants Jex Thoth, so from that description you can expect some crushing slow riffs, and you’d be right. But there’s also more to it, and all that to basically introduce this band’s debut album through Me Saco Un Ojo Records: Abhorrent Worship.
One thing I appreciate a lot about this record—which is one of my major gripes with a lot of death metal—is how Ossuary know how to pace themselves: they neither overstay their welcome or rush to completion. This record certainly has a mood and tone the band keep consistent from beginning to end, but the ideas and riffs presented in each song are explored in full. The overall experience is very dynamic and varied within a compact package. At a runtime of just over 35 minutes across 6 songs, the band deliver a meaty serving of riffs, grooves and wretched screeching that checks all the right boxes. The fact this is a debut album is also impressive, and it shows that these guys took their time crafting their songs and the end result speaks for itself.
In regards to specifics, you certainly get a good balance of crushing death metal that for once manages to achieve a timeless quality while still sounding old-school without feeling artificial or like a recreation of past bands. The other highlight is the band’s sense of atmosphere,; they do an excellent job at setting a very ominous mood from the get-go with some light synths and effects to enhance the crushing riffs. The first half in particular has ambient closing sections and they perfectly follow the brutality without ever diminishing the overall intensity. Knowing that 2/3rds of the band are in Jex Thoth makes all the more sense; while I wouldn’t call this record psychedelic, there is definitely an acidic vibe throughout, like a very bad trip, especially when the band locks in and ups the tempo, which then morphs into intense drones of noise.
My only real issue is my own overfamiliarity with death metal; while this record is a genuine surprise, I still can’t shake the feeling of burnout but that’s definitely my own hangup. This is a very good debut: it succeeds at what the band set out to do and is both classic-sounding while still being a fresher take on the doomier side of death metal, and I’ll definitely keep Ossuary in my purview.
4/5 Flaming Toilets ov Hell
Abhorrent Worship releases May 23 through Me Saco Un Ojo Records.
