Arborescence of Wrath – Inferno

Written by on 22-10-2023 at 21:22.

Sporting a challenging band name, all of a sudden, American Arborescence of Wrath emerges from the deep. This musical epos, Inferno, is the debut album of this tongue twister. The band is signed by Transcending Obscurity Records, and honestly, I have a lot of respect for the label and its owner, Kunal Choksi. I can only imagine how challenging it must be to run a label from India, especially taking into account the high quality delivered by many of the label’s releases.

So here’s Arborescence of Wrath taking its first steps on the dark paths the band have laid out with the label. I have never heard of the band, and I had no idea what to expect, although the name and the album cover do give some hints, of course! While going through the promo material, there are more subtle hints, like Origin vocalist Jason Keyser lending his brutal vocals to this album. Further reading leads to Simon Schilling, the current drummer of Marduk, who gets to go wild on this record. Mr Charles Collette plucked guitar strings for Benighted on some occasions and has now joined this project as well. The lesser known Michel Beneventi and JP Battesti complete the quintet, taking care of the guitar work.

You, dear reader, will undoubtedly have noticed that we are not dealing with light-heartedness or tender, caressing touches of instruments here. No, this is pure brutality. This is pure evil branching out into nine musical assaults on your mental well-being. What violence! After spinning the record it really is necessary to take a breather, and if you have the guts, you simply have to put the record on again. But that’s like trying to walk again after being hit by a bus. As a true masochist, your dedicated editor has ventured to subject himself to the album time and time again.

And this makes the music gradually reveal its nuances. Initially, the music as a whole comes at you like a wall of bricks, but after a couple of listens the riffs and song variations become clearer. Structure and tempo changes make the songs more and more distinct and recognizable. The occasional guitar solo here and there adds depth. The song Holier Than even introduces us to real opera singing and piano playing. It’s a bizarre experience because it is delivered ever so subtly and sensitively, creating a strong contrast. Thankfully, the band abruptly breaks it off after a minute and a half and goes back to full-speed aggression. I’m not sure what it adds exactly, but I wasn’t particularly bothered by it.

Sometimes you need to shake up your system. I always seek out extreme bands that aggressively elevate my adrenaline levels so I can face life’s struggles head-on again. Bands like Hate Eternal, Vitriol, Origin, Krisiun, Hour of Penance have always been within arm’s reach for me. In my book, this album by Arborescence of Wrath can rightfully join their ranks. All in all an awesome album!

Score:

85/100

Label:

Transcending Obscurity Records, 2023

Tracklisting:

  1. Wrath
  2. Carnage
  3. Hangman
  4. Relentless Infights
  5. Holier Than You
  6. Cleansing Termination
  7. Temple of Ashes
  8. Repentance
  9. Into Everlasting Fire (Immolation cover)

Line-up:

  • Jason Keyser – Vocals
  • Michel Beneventi – Guitar
  • JP Battesti – Guitar
  • Simon Schilling – Drums
  • Charles Collette – Bass

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