Fatalistic Uprisal of Abhorrent Creation (FUAC) marks the first release from Demonic Obedience in its new lineup; now a trio whereas the band has been the solo project of George Ntavelas for the previous two albums. The album itself follows in what must now be a tradition (or even a challenge) for the band to create a longer, more elaborate, and generally more evil sounding album title than that which came prior to it. This resemblance to older releases is not the only thing that has carried over from the one-man band days of Demonic Obedience, with the band still maintaining their personalised style of play, something which may put concerned fans’ minds at ease. FUAC manages to sound just as heavy, dirty, and downright nasty as that which has came before it; a cataclysmic blast of barbaric sounding metal.
While FUAC maintains the classic stylings of Demonic Obedience, the characterisation carrying over from previous releases, this album is in no way a rehash of that which came before. In more than a few ways, FUAC manages to sound unique and different, an advancement in the sound created by the band. Perhaps what sets this album apart from Nocturnal Hymns of the Fallen (2016) is not the style of play, but the recording itself. No longer does Demonic Obedience cloak their music in heavy distortion, having their music almost muffled in the same style that is prominent within the black metal scene. FUAC maintains a crisp and clear production, something which must have been a deliberate decision, as, in terms of overall sound, the album sounds much in line with classic death metal.
This is loudly presented within the track “Awakening”. Wasting no time, the track makes a bold entrance through a solo atonal riff, cutting through the silence that precedes it, managing to almost scream “Look at me, here I am”. The solo quickly becomes enveloped in a bombardment of furious drumbeats and vocals so low, you would think that they came from Satan himself. As the track progresses, waves of angry metal wash over the listener, pummeling them with some of the most brutally heavy music ever to be recorded.
The same could very well be said for the whole album, as FUAC takes no prisoners. What may come as a surprise is that while “Awakening” might sound heavier than an elephant connecting with the ground after being dropped fifty feet, it is one of the slower songs on the album. Introductory track “Conjuration” seemingly begins before you even consider hitting the play button, a wicked barrage of duel guitar notes flaring in to life, each hitting you like a punch in the face. Much the same can be said for “Inception”, another track which starts fast, and only manages to get faster as it goes on, sounding like the musical equivalent to a rolling boulder; becoming more erratic and dangerous as it rises in velocity.
FUAC is an album that will appeal to fans of extreme metal across the spectrum, though may particularly find a home within the death metal elitist camp due to it’s fast and angry style and the fact that Demonic Obedience have clearly taken influence from the likes of Morbid Angel and early Carcass. The wild nature from previous releases has carried over on to this album, though has become more refined, polished even. By far, FUAC has to be one of the heaviest albums of the year, and the one encapsulating the true sound of extreme metal.
Fatalistic Uprisal of Abhorrent Creation is out now.
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