Tenebrific - Labyrinth of Anguish
Tenebrific (meaning dark and gloomy) is a side project from Adam Martin of Golgothan Remains and Sarcophagum. Joining Adam is Cristhyano Bassan of Decrepid doing vocals, and the amazing Robin Stone on drums. The debut release from Tenebrific is Labyrinth of Anguish, released earlier this year, and it tells the story of a journey through suffering.
"Harmony ov Suffering" sets the scene for the protagonist. He dwells in misery, suffering with seemingly no light ahead. At that point there are two choices, fight or flight, to sink deeper and into oblivion, or to rise above and face the darkness within and the demons that lay ahead. The track is a lumbering, agony filled monster opening with hellish atmosphere, feedback and echoes of gloom. The music really does fit well with the theme. Out of the first two minutes comes reverb drenched slabs of horror. Deep death growls dominate, but there are intermittent black metal vocals that are equally as effective. They provide the duality of personality that is at play here, and also create depth. A glimmer of light in the shape of a somewhat sorrowful and melodic guitar line appears before the 4 minute mark, but it is surrounded by the brutally heavy bowels of hell. The protagonist has a job ahead of him to pull himself out of the shadows.
The EP is a short 22 minute journey, but it is a journey. The three tracks are finely tuned and crafted and do not sound rushed at all. Some of the riffs on Labyrinth of Anguish have been simmering and festering since 2018, and it shows. The EP has an arc, beginning with doom and gloom and gradually building pace and momentum through until the last moments of "The Final Offering." Stylistically, there is everything here, blended seamlessly into an extreme uprising. Each texture has its place though, is timed well and does not sound forced, like is often the case with extreme metal that leans in and out of different genres.
"Tormenting Shadows" also begins with an atmospheric first two minutes, but where there are shadows means there must be some light, and there is a sense of the protagonist dragging his way out. Robin Stone on drums unearths hell approaching the 2.5-minute mark, pummelling the song forward. The black metal tremolos are glorious here (not unique at first), but when coupled with the mostly death metal growls, it gives it a unique edge, because this could have easily been a pretty standard black metal track had convention reigned. It is a powerful vocal performance by Cristhyano Bassan, but equally as tortured, and the black metal parts are used sparingly and timed perfectly. There is a sadness to the guitar riffs on this track, oozing darkness and grief. The first of two solos comes in at the back end. This one is played by Peter Bursky. This is a gripping solo that truly elevates the track.
"The Final Offering" opens with sombre and pensive acoustic guitar, but you can feel the demon being summoned as the feedback and atmosphere becomes murkier. Frantically, the track becomes an inferno and there is no looking back. "The Final Offering" plays like a final assault and a battle, and thematically it is this - triumph becoming. Again, the death and black metal vocals are often tracked together, but not always. The bass work is killer here, and the pace is electric. Jay Dawkins offers up his solo in the back end of the track, with a slightly more heavy metal slant here, again, elevating the track and not reducing the moment to showmanship. I do not always enjoy solos in extreme metal, but the two on Labyrinth of Anguish are played exceptionally well and fit the songs perfectly.
Much like Golgothan Remains’ recent EP, I wanted this to be longer. Labyrinth of Anguish has been written and performed by very talented musicians, and I really can't fault this. Killer! and I can not wait for a full length, which should come out in late 2025.