Thaumaturgy – Pestilential Hymns (Pestilential Death Metal)

 

I don’t believe I had heard of Thaumaturgy before this one, so one can assume they were something of a whisper in the community, which at this point returns as a virulent plague. Their latest here, Pestilential Hymns, is a masterful, one-man (now apparently three) descent into a suffocating miasma of blackened death metal. The album eschews clean production for an oddly muffled sound that feels genuinely unearthed and forbidden. Not sure how they managed that, and they’re certainly not doing much new here, but is the music really the type of malignancy the title claims? Yes, and in some surprising ways.

   

You’ll likely notice the moldy quality to the recording, which adds an element of texture to Pestilential Hymns true to its moniker. But one of the standouts are the vocals, which trade guttural, subterranean yells for tortured moans, perfectly embodying the album’s thematic focus on disease. Tracks like “The Oncologist’s Hymns” have an almost academic approach, but without the grandiose symphonic presence this type of metal can usually aim for. While undeniably wicked, the album is meticulously crafted, with each composition building a palpable sense of lurking disease. In this sense Thaumaturgy presents a challenging listen that will reward a long-time fan of death or black, giving both the kind of atmospheric corners many bands would do better to hide around.

 

Thaumaturgy Official Instagram

Written by Stanley, Devourer of Souls

Thaumaturgy – Pestilential Hymns
Memento Mori
Cover Art: Daniel Hermosilla (Nox Fragor Artworks)
4.3 / 5