Pedestal For Leviathan rose out of Colorado in 2024 when Kendrick Lemke decided to fuse brutal death metal
riffing with the grand theatrical darkness of bands such as Cradle Of Filth and Dimmu
Borgir. His first step into the world was the EP “Festering Apparition”,
a release that spread quickly through word of mouth and hinted at a mind eager
to build something large and ominous. With a full live lineup now in place, the
project arrives with its debut full length “Enter: Vampyric Manifestation”, a
work that confirms Lemke’s ambition to
create something massive in scale and steeped in blackened extravagance.
The album
progresses with firm intent, guided by towering orchestral layers and violent
riff storms that rise behind Lemke’s
monstrous vocals. What makes the whole thing work is the way he blends thick
death metal aggression with theatrical black metal darkness. One moment the
guitars grind forward with brute force, the next the orchestral backdrop lifts
everything into a more dramatic space, giving the songs a sweeping and stormy
character. The sound is huge, almost cinematic in the way it fills the ear, a
clear sign of the time and care poured into every corner of the production.
Across the album the energy stays high and the songwriting keeps driving forward. The riffs carry a bite that fans of Septicflesh or Fleshgod Apocalypse will recognize, while touches of Belphegor and Darklord echo in the more chaotic passages. Lemke handles the writing, recording and mixing with an impressive sense of scale, and the mastering by Mathew Meyer adds extra volume and weight to the final result. The album’s world is painted in deep reds and cold night shadows, helped along by striking cover artwork from Alexander Kemp that completes the atmosphere.
As a debut
full length, “Enter: Vampyric Manifestation” comes across with assurance. It
brings intensity, theatrics and a stormy atmosphere without slipping into
chaos, and it keeps its energy sharp from start to finish. The bonus tracks
from the debut EP fit neatly at the end, giving new listeners a complete
picture of what Pedestal For Leviathan has
been building toward. Fans of extreme metal who like big soundtracks wrapped
inside harsh riffing will likely welcome this rising project with open arms.
This release is like the start of a long unfolding path for Lemke and his
expanding lineup, a path carved with ambition and shadow.
Score: 7.5
https://linktr.ee/pedestalforleviathan
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