Atavisma - Where Wolves Once Dwelled

Originally a digital release but also released on tape by Nihilistic Holocaust, this is heavy as hell French death/doom, more so of the style of Asphyx. The production is extremely dirty and rather inviting, although you may find some difficulties picking out all of the vocal sounds due to the more often than not muddy production. But bleakness is the key here.

Once you play with your equalizer settings, you will hear much to get excited about. Ok, a lot of bands do this style; a lot of bands of a much bigger stature get credit for this style. When you think that there are bands like this around, then you really appreciate what this band can do and how they should be spoke about in line with larger outfits. ‘The Savage One’ sounds like and delivers its message with an often harrowing vocal wail, a down dirty but almost torturous delivery feeds your senses and makes the track sound a lot more expansive than perhaps it is. The pattern is similar for the remainder of the EP and the full range of the recording quality is captured very nicely. The short acoustic section of the title track even produces a sinister feeling, before being annihilated when the guitars and distortion kicks in. If you were to take the Swedeath guitar tone, cross swords with bands like Disma for the filthy guitar sound, the aforementioned Asphyx and to some extent the bleak horror of Triptykon for the speed of the release, then you have a perfect match. It is certainly not pretty, but it is certainly entertaining.

This is the best form of doom death, bare bone crushing heaviness at its near best. I look forward to more material by this bunch of rotten souls.