- https://causticabyss.bandcamp.com/
- Release Date: 01/17/2025
- 14:59 Studios / Will Maravelas / 1459studios.bandcamp.com
- https://www.youtube.com/@CausticAbyss
- Tags: death metal, extreme metal, metal, thrash metal, OSDM, minnesota, minneapolis
Setup
The name of this band grabbed me before the album came out. Probably because it reminded me of Caustic Affliction, who knows. I also love getting in on the ground floor with cool stuff, and a new pro-caliber extreme metal band ticks that box for sure. After hearing some on social media I was excited to grab this when it hit.
For those who don’t know, the band is made up of five veterans of the Twin Cities extreme metal scene. Ex- and current members of Coffinrot, Echoes of the Fallen, Glutton for Punishment, Plague of Stars and more. The album lives up to the pedigree.
Fresh Meat
The first track, The Necropocalypse, is arguably the best song on here. It kicks in immediately with machine gun drumming, raunchy, rapid-fire riffs, thundering bass and appropriately in-your-face hardcore edged, death metal vocals. At no point does the band relent for a solid 5 minutes and 8 seconds.
The title track is up next and picks up where the opener left off. Things do breathe a bit more in places through this one, particularly in a “get your #$%@ in the pit!” break down about halfway through.
Divine Power is another banger with some quality horror soundtrack vibes roaring along like a hellhound freight train.
Justifiable Atrocities vies with the opener as my favorite track on this one. Starting with staccato drum blasts that give way to some pretty killer OSDM riffage.
The Kill
Overall, if you’re into death metal that walks the line between old school and modern, or just love music that crushes skulls, this one is for you. They mix a lot of old and new, but never sound dated or too far ahead of their time. Eternal Winter Crypt was recorded and mixed at guitarist Will Maravelas’s 14:59 Studios and mastered by legendary metal sound engineer Dan Swano at Unisound in Sweden.
For those who live for the negatives, putting The Necropocalypse first did make a tall order for the rest of the tracks to follow. And, some might say Caustic Abyss isn’t cutting any edges out there, and do sound like a lot of death metal bands that have come before. But, last I checked the quota for “too many death metal bands” wasn’t even close to being filled.
Final Thoughts
FWIW, I caught them at the Brian Owens benefit show in March and they did not disappoint. If you see them on a bill, and love extreme metal, check em out.