Just because it’s late in the year and most of all the vital music has been consumed doesn’t mean all the surprises have been packed away. Falling asleep on late November and December releases is not something any responsible writer can do, and our schedule is pretty jam packed for the rest of the year, which is a really nice problem to have.

So, we’re getting this new EP “Pulsing Dark Absorptions” dropped into our laps by new Philly-based powerhouse Daeva. I was first clued into the band’s existence during a recent visit to 20 Buck Spin’s new Pittsburgh compound, and sure enough, days later, the music was up on the label’s Bandcamp. As promised, this record is a sinewy, violent combination of all sort of dark arts, from death and black metals to thrash, and these five songs (four originals and a massive Mayhem cover) is yet more proof that metal keeps giving well into a year’s dying days. Formed from members of notable bands such as Crypt Sermon, Trenchrot, Infiltrator, and Unrest, this trio lights shit on fire and takes pleasure in watching it burn to the ground. Its members—vocalist EG, guitarist/bassist SJ, drummer JB—unleash torment and violence over this introductory offering, an indication that the metal world has a new underground force with which to contend.

“No Effective Banishing” pretty much meets you at the gates with a bloody knife, as the song gets off to a blistering start, the growls are raw, and even some trippy/echoey effects work their way in and trick your mind. The song drubs heavily, as the pace rips apart, the song hits a nasty arc, and everything fades into violence. “Clenched Fist of the Beast” tells you everything you need to know, steamrolling over you right as proceedings get under way. The growls crush, and the fast playing tramples you underneath their gears. The guitars explode with energetic tension, and the assault is downright animalistic. The title track follows, jamming the gas pedal and getting it stuck in the floor, while the pace bristles and the riffs roll. The growls are monstrous and virulent, and the attitude is violent. “Wipe that smirk off your fucking face,” EG howls snottily, bringing the song to an aggressive, grinding finish. “Descending the Miasmal Void” has a damaged, warped start, as the guitar work blinds, and the song heads into a thrashy, smashing fit. The vocals shred the skin, while the music takes on a tasty old school death metal vibe, mixed with bone-destroying punk flares. The closer is an awesome take on Mayhem’s “Deathcrush,” complete with their psyched-out treatment that makes your anxiety level shoot through your brain, leaving you a quivering mess.

The arrival of Daeva turns an already darkened metal terrain into a thing of horrors. “Pulsing Dark Absorptions” is one of those late-year entries that serve as a reminder that it is wise to consume all music planned for a certain year before handing out the accolades. This EP is a scorcher, one that hints that deadly days are coming on the capable backs of Daeva’s experienced members.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/daevablackthrash/

To buy the album, go here: https://www.20buckspin.com/products/daeva-pulsing-dark-absorptions-mlp

For more on the label, go here: https://www.20buckspin.com/