It’s easy to get caught up in the drama that surrounds this world, and with our political and societal volatility increasing by the hour, it would be nice to escape this plane to head somewhere else for a while. Is there somewhere else? We might never know in our current form, but the idea has been around forever, and who’s the say this world is the end?

Slovakian black metal force Ceremony of Silence examine that very concept and others on their thunderous second record “Hálios,” which is a motherfucker. This seven-track bruiser is served just right, a thick and blackened dose of death metal that might remind a bit of Ulcerate but brawls in different directions. This album contemplates the idea of our place in the universe, the illumination of the great star around which we revolve, and, in their words, a reenacting of “the old stories inspired by the essence of the ancient Indo-European mythology, entwined in the obscure visions and dreams.” It’s a lot to consider, but this band—vocalist N., guitarist/bassist/vocalist Viliam Pilarčík, drummer Matúš S. Ďurčík—makes the venture one in which you’ll want to engage, and their utter ferocity is enough to pull you into a place you’ll never want to leave.

“Primaeval Sacrifice” instantly rips everything to shreds, scrambling brains with vicious growls and a force that quakes the earth. The melodies snake through soot, combusting with beastly growls as the playing drills into the earth, drawing lava and trudging to a burly end. “Serpent Slayer” drives and roars, peeling back flesh as dizzying playing makes you lightheaded, grisly growls continuing that disorientation. The pressure continues to dig into muscle, increasing the heat as it goes to dangerous levels, the guitars lathering as the molten rock continues to flow at an inescapable pace. “Moon Vessel” bathes in humidity as the riffs jerk, and the low end smashes with concise abandon. The drums pound away as the smearing vocals spread ash down your throat, letting sounds hang in the air and haunt, finally submitting to echo. “Eternal Return” is a short, blunt track with guitars stinging, growls festering amid an ashen atmosphere, clouds eventually blocking out the sun.

“Light Runs Through Light” pulverizes, blistering with seismic force, the growls burying all hopes as the bludgeoning hits dangerous levels. The curdling heat gets more oppressive as the music tangles and explodes, wrenching as the drums combust, the growls scorch, and cosmic confusion is at its apex. “Perennial Incantation” smashes its way in, the leads hinting every so slightly at melody, the pace ripping and pulverizing, sounds hovering as the roars increase in intensity. The chaos bewilders and wrecks, guitars branching out, the thick steam bath robbing you of consciousness. Closer “King in the Mountain” slays, thrashing with start/stop mashing, drubbing with a force that does not have your well being in mind. Gargantuan hell is unleashed, sinew pushing through open wounds, a psychedelic echo making you wonder about your sanity. Eeriness thickens and then erupts, tearing holes in the earth, bending time at its will, expiring in a thick halo of exhaust.

Ceremony of Silence capture the brutality and mystery of trying to branch into another dimension, pushing your limits elsewhere as your corporeal form battles modern struggles. “Hálios” reaches into mysticism and the heavens with a battering ram, a record that feels like it is trying to dislodge the core of the earth and jettison it into the stars. This is a mighty, alluring work, an album that leaves you battered but profoundly more connected to this world and the next.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.willowtip.com/store/

For more on the label, go here: https://www.willowtip.com/home.aspx