Antropomorphia | Devoid Of Light | Testimony Records

 

AntropomorphiA emerged from Tilburg, Netherlands, in 1990 and quickly established themselves as one of the more blasphemous and bludgeoning forces in the underground death metal scene. Their 1992 demo "Bowel Mutilation" and the following "Necromantic Love Songs" EP (1993) solidified a cult following. Although not consistently active in the early 2000s, they roared back into relevance with a string of increasingly unrelenting albums: "Pure," "Evangelivm Nekromantia," "Rites Ov Perversion," "Sermon Ov Wrath," and "Merciless Savagery." With each release, AntropomorphiA refined their sound, adding elements of black metal to their brutal death metal foundation, and their reputation grew through live appearances across key European festivals.

"Devoid Of Light," their first full-length in six years, is a suffocating, feral assault on the senses. Built over a long, staggered period, its gestation has resulted in a bleak and caustic collection of tracks. There is a cold, slow-burning anger woven throughout the album’s pacing, reflecting a band not interested in speed for its own sake but in the weight of atmosphere.

The material leans heavily into somber, brooding dissonance as much as it does into relentless blast and churn. Tracks like "The Withering Stench Of Hope" and "Cancerous Bane" carry with them a sense of ritual decay, while "In The Shade Of The Devil's Horns" and "Ash Drapes The Earth" grind forward with menacing tension, carrying the cold gleam of blackened tonal shifts. AntropomorphiA employs a tight rhythmic control that avoids chaos in favor of a more deliberate, suffocating momentum.

Vocally and lyrically, the album moves between pure vitriol and bleak introspection. The production favors abrasion over precision, enhancing the grim weight of each track. The guitar tone remains thick, distorted, and grimy, with the bass often coiled underneath like a second layer of rot. Drums vary from mid-tempo stomps to sudden hammering sections, giving the tracks an unpredictable dynamic without losing cohesion.

"Devoid Of Light" doesn’t seek drama or technical flair. It moves with a persistent force, never letting light in. The cumulative effect is one of unrelenting bleakness and inner corrosion—a deliberately heavy and joyless descent.

Score: 8.0