Relics Of Humanity - Absolute Dismal Domain

It has been a few years (about six) but Belarus’ Brutal Death Metal group Relics Of Humanity are back with another face stomping album that is still tasteful and won’t shred the ears too much. Still at home in Willowtip records with the likes of Schizogen and Iniquitous Savagery, everything that lives up to this sub genre of Death Metal is packaged in “Absolute Dismal Domain.” Guttural vocals? Check. Churning riffs? Check. Blistering drums that have that metallic echo versus thunderous percussion? Also check. But, unlike some of the bands mentioned above, Relics Of Humanity are known for being a little more accessible than a lot of Brutal Death Metal bands out there who either go too guttural on the vocals or too fast especially when the drums sound like endless machine gun fire. Somehow, this four piece blends a sound that is a mix of Extermination Dismemberment and Vital Remains for a taste of new and old that still hits hard.

After a building intro with ‘Omen Apollyon’ which features grating guitars from Sergey Liakh and bellows from vocalist Flo Butcher, the heaviness sets in with ‘Summoning of Those Who Absorbed.’ The vocals are guttural, but somewhat discernible (much like Vital Remains) and the chugging riffs have a bit of the Slam sound to them alongside the bass from Pavel Lapkouskiy. But the real treat is the drums that just smash in clear, but not overwhelming technical fashion from Vladislav Vorozhtsov whose tasteful fury matches that of Abysmal Dawn’s last record. The vocals are right in front through most of the mix though, making them prominent, so it takes a lot of ‘oomph’ from the drums to make their impact, so it works. A lot of the songs from Relics Of Humanity are building- they have fury- but not that burst right at the gate and let’s go kind. Tracks like ‘Taking the Shape of Infinity’ are a good example of this as it builds with the riffs and vocals almost in a Doom fashion and then just takes off with the drums for a bit as the riffs get faster, then slow a bit back down again somewhat like Suffocation. There isn’t too much of a focus on solos at all more just the riffs and vocals, but with their distortion it sounds almost fuzzed out at times, especially towards the end when things really slow down again. However those who are looking for a faster more in your face type of track will enjoy ‘In the Name of…’ which skips the building chugs and just opts for the drums to take off full force followed by the vocals.

The vocals certainly have their display of power on this record compared to before when they kind of just seemed to compete with the guitars and drums, especially on the last album where the higher pitched snarls seemed to get lost with the whine of the guitars which were a bit fuzzier than here.  On “Absolute Dismal Domain” when it comes to the track ‘His Creation That No Longer Exists’ this showcases the best vocal versatility. Here they burp, gurgle, and roar versus the somewhat one sided display much like Deicide styled vocals that have built up to this. The mix of guitars and bass almost sound a little more technical- nearly like Nile- alongside the drums minus that atmospheric Eastern elements, so it shakes things up a bit for Relics Of Humanity who are usually known for their plodding almost Condemned style Death Metal that is straightforward, but not the most varied and a bit distorted. The most atmosphere anyone will get from this album is nearly Noise/ Industrial touches of the somewhat fazed out closing ‘Dominion’ that like the intro is a bit of a slow build track all the way through, again making vocals a priority in front of the guitars before reaching a dramatic conclusion of distorted lo-fi drawn out riffs.

Overall, each track sticks hard with its simplicity and yet effectiveness. The groove is there along with the brutality and one could even consider them a good ‘entry band’ for those who want to get into the Brutal Death Metal genre. “Absolute Dismal Domain” is dark, hopeless, and a testament to Relics Of Humanity’s ability to perform ‘attractive’ music from a genre that is often maligned for how hard it hits, or how much one can’t understand the vocals, etc. This crushes like Vomit the Soul with the ugliness factor but has that Deicide/ Vital Remains touch that makes it a step above caveman smashing music. Certainly a 2 step mosh inciter and a listen worth spinning plenty of times over once the half hour is over. This record is certainly not to be missed for anyone who like any form of the heavier genres of music.      

5 / 5 STARS