It feels like utter hell here in the United States, what with fascism and the constant barrage of bullshit, but there are hellscapes where parts of the world are being torn apart, and survival from one day to the next hardly is guaranteed. Imagine trying to create something meaningful and impactful when bombs are falling all around you.

Ukrainian metal force Heruvim are in the middle of a warzone, and the idea they could put together a full-length record under those circumstances is perverse. Yet we have “Mercator,” the band’s first full-length album, a seven-track, 30-minute bruiser that breathes chaotic life into death metal. The band—vocalist/guitarist Nefarious, guitarist Kick Flis, bassist Hot Rod—had to create this album as their country is at war. They risked conscription, fighting, and death, crossing borders to make this happen. You’d think this would sound frenzied and punishing, and it does, but it also bursts with energy and life as if they’re determined to survive no matter what hell they experience.

“Mysterium Tremendum” starts with guitars crushing, twisting at muscle, sooty, snaking riffs going in and out of pools of blood. The carnage takes a break to turn mystifying, letting you breathe before the powder keg erupts, guitars swim through humidity, and the growls wrench your neck. “Nulla Res” delivers spidery leads, a confounding pathway forward, howls that tear at the flesh, and a pace that jerks you around and into walls. The playing thrashes even harder, upping the ante, bludgeoning with relentless ferocity. “Gnosis” brings the guitars to a boil, decimating as the vocals ravage, chaotic damage being served in generous portions. The playing leans into atmospheric heat as the leads gains some warmth, and everything turns to dust.

“Arammu” has a more techy open that aims to melt brains, and the guitars begin their exploration, howls carving passageways as the torment gets thicker. A strange psychedelic cloud hangs overhead as growls retch, rubbery guitar work punishes, and the final strains bleed into brief interlude “VII.” This feels like a strange isolation in an alien world, a robotic voice repeating Gorgias’ tenets about existence and knowledge. The title track bludgeons, wrecking and dizzying, the howls smashing as the pace grows more volatile. Blood rushes as the bass trudges, synth bristling, the heat spiking and fading. Closer “Lacrimae Rerum” has guitars cascading, growls swelling, and fast-strike leads taking over your imagination. The tempo chunks as the guitars add more excitement, howls darken, and things gradually fade into an increasingly uncertain darkness.

The ravages of war and the uncertainty of survival certainly inform “Mercator,” even if the lyrical content heads into more imaginative and psychologically stimulating territory. Heruvim put their lives on the line to make this record, which cannot be overstated, and the result is a strong, steady debut full-length that also leaves room to grow. Hopefully matters grow less volatile in their homeland (we’re not holding our breath, but we can hope) and that this can be a building block to a future that’s violent only from a metallic standpoint. 

For more on the band, go here: https://heruvim.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://redefiningdarkness.8merch.us/

Or here (Europe): https://redefiningdarkness.8merch.com/

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