It’s easy to get caught in a brutal circle of self-flagellation where the cycle is almost a comfort, no matter how deeply it rots you from the inside. You want to change, maybe you even try, but the shit that’s circling your head, the anxiety that eats at you every day is too much for you to make real changes. Here you are, in a cycle you didn’t want, having thoughts you can’t control.

The new Pyrolatrous record is called “Inveterate,” and the term means a long-running habit or cycle in which you’re entrenched that you have very little chance of changing. Think about that for a second, and then let it wash over you in unforgiving waves that never stop. This, the band’s second record, is a foray into that thinking but also lashes back against a world that’s quickly being consumed by alt-right horse fucking shit and dangerous beliefs that are somehow consuming people’s minds. We’re fucked at the moment, and that’s the sentiment that Pyrolatrous—vocalist Nicholas Palmirotto, guitarist Nolan Voss, bassist Joe Merolla, drummer Lev Weinstein—layer all over this volatile, immersive record that digs into content you might not want to confront, but it’s better if you did. How else will you know how to cope not only with your own issues but the matters that sicken this world more every single day?

“Divination of the Relic Wind” unleashes a death stomp, rampaging as Palmirotto’s raspy howls leave lash marks on your flesh, the band stomping viciously. The chugging only gets more intense, the playing pummels, and everything is swallowed by eeriness. “Crowning of the Curse of Suffering and Bane” runs 8:06, and it immediately rips, melodic fire raging toward you, deathly howls pounding away as the band trudges and mashes. Guitars glimmer before the soloing explodes, filling the space with volcanic madness, the growls slicing back in and adding to the bruising. Melodies increase, the clubbing starts to feel personal, and the final moments blaze with violent intent. “Priests of the Waning Light” unloads boiling guitars, mauling as monstrous growls flex their hideous muscles, ushering in a clip from a Martin Luther King Jr, speech about poverty and redistribution of wealth serving as a harsh reminder of how little progress we’ve made there since his day. Riffs then tangle as the fires increase, thrashing with blinding passion, surging toward the gates with blood on their claws.

“Idolatry of Failure” storms in with scraping guitars and channeled viciousness, blasting with the intent to injure. The pace churns as the band shows off some zany tricks that are cartoonish and slashing, making your head spin. Guitars mash as the assault gets more devastating, only ending once your senses are obliterated. “The Mire of Dissimulation” opens with retching howls and a pace that’s sudden and slashing, stampeding over prone bodies. The guitar playing takes off as the energy spikes, shrieks flatten, and everything rounds back into classic metal territory, slamming to a delirious, weird finish. “The Dole of Imminence and Ending” brings raw howls, and a brain-destroying, yet melodic surge that takes you over. The guitars light up and scorch as the growls explode, the riffs spiraling dangerously, the mystical finish sending chills. Closer “Slave of the State” blinds as the guitars spiral, thick basslines knock out teeth, and vicious growls splatter. The speed becomes a major factor as riffs wash over, and then an unexpected atmospheric surge sends a jolt of oxygen. The playing electrifies anew as the growls bubble, melodies flood the surface, and a haze burns off leaving behind a thick fog.

Pyrolatrous’ tormented spirit and overflowing disgust is on full display with “Inveterate,” a collection that examines the worst of us all and the damage that’s being done societally. The band’s intensity and fire are on display over this entire record, and if you’re feeling the same negativity and also have a disgust with the state of the world, this is a great way to help vent all of that frustration. This is utter brutality expressed with a technical wizardry that feels poisonous and leaves you with blood and spite.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://gileadmedia.net/products/pyrolatrous-inveterate-lp

Or here: https://www.7degrees-records.de/shop/12-vinyl/p-12-vinyl/#cc-m-product-16757903924

For more on the label, go here: https://gileadmedia.net/

And here: https://www.7degrees-records.de/