Everything has to start somewhere and with something, and welcome to the most obvious thing I’ve ever said in this history of this site. That said, it’s true, and there are so many smaller metal labels that exist because there was a creation that needed a home; therefore, one was formed to get music out into circulation. That’s ambition that I’m not sure I have inside of me.
So, we get to “End of Ordovicia,” the debut offering from blackened death trio Silurian that just so happens to be the starting point for their in-house label Ordovician Records. Taking its label name from the second period of the Paleozoic Era, it’s the perfect launch for this band and three-track creation formed by members of other notable groups including Suffering Hour, Sunless, and Grand Demise of Civilization. The beast is comprised of vocalist Dylan Haseltine, guitarist/bassist Lucas Scott, and drummer Patrick Ruhland, and they expertly combine the finer elements of death and black metal into an amalgamation that explodes with ferocity and should be the foundation for something greater.
The title track opens with guitars firing up and then the pace chugging and mauling, the growls digging into your guts. The playing has a black metal-style edge to it as the leads spiral and challenge, making your blood rush as a melodic burst leads to a crushing end. “Gondwanian Sacrifice” blazes immediately as the growls snarl and the playing has a technical edge, though not in a way that’s stuffy or rigid. The playing gains warmth as the aggression becomes more pronounced, the vocals batter your senses, and the riffs tangle and tie you to the earth. Closer “Eurypterid Emperors” delivers charging guitars and punishing growls, though things get more spacious as the song develops. Creativity explodes as the playing puts you to the test, hammering your brain, while a violent assault digs in its teeth even further. Atmosphere thickens as the pace gets more delirious, filling your mind and submitting to time.
For a first sampling, Silurian make a dent in your skull on “End of Ordovicia,” one of the most bruising three-track pieces you’re bound to hear this summer. The band’s mix of death and black metal feels rich and volatile, full of melody but also chaos. I’m excited to see where this band goes from here as these mere seeds are bound to yield delicious yet rotting fruit.
To buy the album, go here: https://ordovicianrecords.bandcamp.com/album/silurian-end-of-ordovicia
For more on the label, go here: https://ordovicianrecords.bandcamp.com/
Meat Mead Metal 