I believe a lot of us like to think of space as a majestic black ocean of stars where we can let our imaginations soar in order to soothe our mental wounds. But it might be violent. Have you seen “Alien” lately? You have to think that somewhere, horrors unimaginable might be happening, still intoxicating you with galaxies and terrifying you with blood.

Cincinnati death metal power Nogothula have a firm grasp on the fantastical and the frightening when it comes to the contents of the universe, and their debut full-length “Telluric Sepsis” is chock full of savagery that freezes every cell in your body. Taking a noticeable step up from their solid “Gore Vortex Ascension” EP, the band—vocalist/bassist  Eric Payne, guitarist/vocalist Colton Deem, guitarist Nick Moeller, drummer Alex Hooper—mutates and warps their version of death, weaving in progressive patterns and vile wreckage into a record that is challenge worth taking over and over again.

“Awakening” is a strange, short opener, growls boiling in mud, and then everything is sucked into the iciness of space. “Chaospore” ignites, guitars chugging with fervor, howls sickening as the bruising force increases. Things turn more beastly, devastating as drums crush wills and bones. “Catacomb Cauldron” stirs with guttural growls, the guitars getting trickier as a battering force is unleashed. The playing stays molten until bursting at the seams, ripping flesh along the way. “Lacerating Vibrations” is weighty and sooty as growls engorge, the melodies temporarily delving into mystical territory. Hazy guitars thicken the air as the howls melt, and cosmic keys return to the skies. “Observers of Perpetual Rot” tears in, speedy destruction having its way, pulverizing with total ugliness. The splattering playing gets in your mouth and hair, spiraling and defacing before zapping out.

“Labyrinthian Sunken Spires” dashes and encircles, deathly hell oozing through the cracks, dizzying heat slowing down a bit, heated gurgles chugging acid. Blinding, burning tension builds, leading to bizarre, sinewy guitars, the final moments gasping. “Morbid Seas of Stygian Blood” pounds as savage growls tear flesh, the bass recoiling, the tempo slashing at guts. Growls corrode as the fumes rise toward the sky, unsettling and whirring sounds lashing back tornadically. The title track ignites, blades whipping at you maniacally, driving death ramming you square in the ribs. Leads zap as the mashing lays waste, growls coat, and penetrating carnage powders bones. Closer “Meandering Comatose Twilight…The Carrion Viaduct” dawns in eerie synth, a slower, sinister pace taking hold, growls scraping congealing wounds from flesh. The playing then gets more destructive, vicious violence spilling blood, the punishment then meted out in more calculated fashion. Growls maul as the elements stir, sounds blipping and disappearing into stars.

Nogothula journey deep into the stranger elements of space on “Telluric Sepsis,” a record that is perfect for late-night sojourns when the dark sky is filled with stars and mystery. It’s normal to feel like your flesh is crawling as your brains are beaten in by the band’s forward-thinking, poisonous death metal. This is morbidly heavy, sci-fi-leaning madness that spews forth from this album and is perfect fodder for when you’re mentally strained, could use a good physical shaking, and want to disappear into the darkest regions of your mind.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://shop.bloodharvest.se/?s=Nogothula&post_type=product

For more on the label, go here: https://shop.bloodharvest.se/