Chthe'ilist - Le Dernier Crépuscule
2016
Technical Death / Doom Metal Profound Lore Records
Quite possibly the heaviest record released in 2016, Chthe’ilist’s excellent Le Dernier Crepescule (or The Last Twilight) is an exercise in brutality and excess. The production on this album is nothing short of demonic, with detuned tremolo riffs and croaking vocals working to create an immense wall of sound. Blast beats and complex drumming abound — it’s truly about as heavy as you can get. Despite this, the album is actually quite listenable. Each song follows a similar template — heavy riffing intro, shrieking verses, soaring technical guitar solo, ambient outro (complete with Cthulu-style insect croaking) — which keeps the arrangements from spiraling out of control. Also, that Lovecraft-inspired album artwork is truly exceptional and perfectly captures the unsettling atmosphere that pervades the record. Extreme music fans need look no further.
