There are a lot of heavy, devasting bands in our midst, so much so that sometimes the glut of music can lose its overall impact. That’s why you have to ensure there are artists whose intent is clear and that the violent force is as obvious as the moon in a clear night sky. This is ferocity and terror that’s fully imagined, making the pretenders fall by the wayside.
We have not heard from Canadian horde Adversarial in nearly a decade, but their silence has ended with their volcanic third record “Solitude With the Eternal” that is landing like a planet-altering asteroid into our laps. This eight-track, nearly 32-minute beast makes clear this band is one of those whose mission cannot be questioned, and they aren’t here to sell T-shirts. They’re here to batter you limb from limb which the band—vocalist/guitarist C.S., bassist M.M., drummer E.K.—does supremely effectively, forcing you to face every lashing twist and turn, every cavern of fear and pain. Death and black fucking metal.
“Beware the Howling Darkness on Thine Left Shoulder” opens suddenly in the midst of animalistic hell, molten chaos pouring over prone bodies as vicious howls bruise flesh. Bone-rattling playing pushes on as the growls seethe, and the slaughtering tempo increases the ugliness. “Hatred Kiln of Vengeance” numbs before the drums explode and plaster, growls bubbling as the hellish nightmare gets into your brain. The playing races faster as the growls fry your brain wiring, the aggression multiplying as the final strains succumb to echoes. “Witness to the Eternal Light” mangles as the drums pummel and the growls put you to the test. The leads catch fire as the growls bury you in burning coals, the leads tingling and causing your blood to rush as everything blasts out. “Death Is an Advisor in the Woods of the Devil” is mesmerizing as it starts, but it’s not long until the pace tears open, and the drumming hits so hard it opens flesh. The playing gets creakier as the pressure plays tricks on your mind, boiling in hell and causing breathing to suffer.
“Crushed Into the Kingdom of Darkness” is eerie, unfurling like a fog, beasty snarls crawling down your spine. The aura is icy and ugly, the tempo picking up, and along with it, the heat. Growls pound away as the guitars conjure black magic, obscuring everything in noxious smoke. “Merging Within the Destroyer” starts with drums fully engulfing, guitars going off as the growls peel flesh from bone. A blazing front is lit that consumes everything, guitars torching and teasing, spiraling as the violence sends blood spatter. “Fanes at the Engur” is another that greets you with the drums in full devourment, bones rattling as growls retch, a massive assault barreling full speed down a hill. The drums pulverize anew, guitars warping, the heat causing your concentration to go haywire. “Endless Maze of Blackest Dominion” closes the record and does so in totally mauling fashion, the growls boiling as the pulverizing tempo does its best to increase the levels of torture. The playing races while the guitars border on zany, every element fully engulfing as the final blasts split skulls.
“Solitude With the Eternal” is a record you cannot just approach half-heartedly, as it will take you under in no time and grind you in its gears. This is vile and violent death metal, the type Adversarial make so daunting and dangerous that it feels like every ounce of this music is entering your bloodstream to sicken you. This is a beast threatening to drag you to the darkest regions of your mind and run your face in your own fears.
For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/AdversarialOfficial
To buy the album, go here: https://www.darkdescentrecords.com/shop/
For more on the label, go here: https://www.facebook.com/DarkDescentRecords/
Meat Mead Metal 