Ophiolatry - Transmutation
Regain Records – FSR 002 – 21 January 2008
by John Norby
This latest album by Brazilian blasphemers
Ophiolatry is brutal as hell, hinting at the musical stance taken by their fellow countrymen
Krisiun and throwing occasional nudges to tech-mentalists
Origin. It’s pretty relentless from start to finish – at least when the songs
proper are bludgeoning their way from the speakers. Despite the fact that
Ophiolatry aren’t treading new ground in any respect with this release, the sheer vehemence with which the music is delivered is enough to keep the listener satisfied, with axe in hand, waiting patiently for the next born again Christian to come knocking on the door.
Production on
Transmutation is pretty bleak: just about dirty enough to exact an air of evilness yet clean enough to allow each nuance to be heard as it was meant to be. It must be said though, that on the initial listen the drum sound comes across as pretty fucking dire and takes some getting used to. But, as with most albums of this ilk, the dodgy tub sound slowly blends in with the rest of the music until it lodges itself in the subconscious and becomes bearable.
Of note on this album are the few quirky instrumental passages that break up the brutality. The first,
’Uturu’ could well be the Satanic spawn of the track
’Chinese Torture’ on
Queen’s
The Miracle album. A strange comparison indeed, but one that comes to the fore immediately upon hearing the tune, more in the guitar sounds and the quirky nature of the composition than anything else.
‘Variacoes I’ treads lightly on the verge of the serialist composer Arnold Schoenberg, while closing track
’Preludio No 4’ isn’t too far from a rather subdued Andrés Segovia.
All in all, if it’s scathing, unrepentant, blasting, technical death metal that floats your casket you’ll not go far wrong with
Transmutation.
Official Ophiolatry Website
Official Ophiolatry Myspace
Official Regain Records Website
