Sheol (שְׁאוֹל) & Fōr 7” Split - Tehom /
Ginnungagap (2014)
Iron Bonehead Productions
Review by Trevor Proctor
If you haven’t heard of sepulchral death
metal band Sheol (שְׁאוֹל) it’s about high time you did as to say they’ve had a
hell of a year so far is an understatement. Since releasing their widely
praised debut EP “Sepulchral Ruins Below the Temple” at the beginning of the
year they’ve solidified their line-up with a new guitarist, played a number of
live shows (including two in support of Incantation) and also entered the studio
to record a track for this upcoming 7” split with Sweden’s Fōr. Details about
Sweden’s Fōr (Proto-Germanic for Fire) are somewhat more limited - formed in
2013 they’ve so far released a demo entitled Kundaz and also an EP, Blakaz Askō
Hertō, which was released in November 2013 via Iron Bonehead – identities of
band members and their locations are currently unknown. The eye-catching cover
artwork was designed by JDW Death my only Friend Artworks and late August sees
the release of this essential 7”.
Sheol don’t mess about, launching straight into
Phosphagous Amorpheon they bring us seven minutes of relentless, intense,
sepulchral death metal; AHS’ vocal is recognisable from the first growl, authoritarian and distinctive there’s no missing
his tone. Sheol is a band in its ascendancy and as a result have a subtle air
of confidence surrounding them and you can feel this through their music –
everything about it is well written and extremely well played, the drumming is
exceptional as always and the track is also littered with superb solos that are
now the product of two excellent guitarists.
It’s hard to fault Sheol’s
contribution to this split, even though it wasn’t required the production has
improved slightly and when we combine all these factors this becomes one of the
best tracks they’ve written so far - in fact I’ll go as far as to say it’s as
good of a death metal track you’ll hear this year.
To Envisage a Fuliginous Sun is Fōr’s track;
their music has a much more oppressive and suffocating feel to it and is played
at a crushingly torturous pace. Their doom-death generates pure death metal
smog - intentionally oppressive and ominous, the music drains the very life
from your soul and the word sinister doesn’t do it justice - the track slowly smothers
you and pummels your spirit throughout its seven minute duration. Anyone who’s
lucky enough to have heard “Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius” by Abyssal will love
the music of Fōr and this track is easily strong enough to bring them many new
fans.
Whilst both bands on the split are quite
different in style the two tracks complement each other and work well together,
there’s enough here to whet the appetite for both bands to make you go hunting
for their previous releases - two brilliant tracks from two outstanding bands
and yet another jewel in the crown of Iron Bonehead Productions.
10/10
Tracklist:
1 - Sheol (שְׁאוֹל) - Phosphagous Amorpheon.
2 - Fōr - To Envisage a Fuliginous Sun.
שְׁאוֹל (Sheol - UK) / Fōr Split 7" is released by Iron Bonehead Productions on 22 August 2014. You can check out a sample of these evil sounds here.
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