Grave Miasma – Odori Sepulcrorum (Profound Lore)

Grave Miasma – Odori Sepulcrorum (Profound Lore)

Of 2013’s most-employed metal tropes, few were more popular than “cavern-core,” the term used to describe a host of death metal bands who prized verite ambience over technique and/or structure, bands whose music sounded (and in fact often was) deliberately vast and abrasive to the point of near-total disfigurement. Perhaps no cavern-core-identified album got more press than Odori Sepulcrorum, the very long-awaited debut LP from England’s Grave Miasma. But applying that microgenre distinction to Odori Sepulcrorum does a disservice to all parties: Where most cavern-core bands deal in a style that seeks to cloak in darkness the details of the actual music, Grave Miasma recorded Odori Sepulcrorum on vintage equipment at London’s Orgone Studios (where Sweden’s Ghost recorded their gorgeous-sounding debut, Opus Eponymous, by way of reference). And while Odori Sepulcrorum does prize sound above song, never does that sound distract from the performances on the record; instead, it provides a stark and stunning backdrop for Grave Miasma’s unusual influences, song structures, and technical prowess. And while cavern-core will be forgotten by the this time next year, Odori Sepulcrorum will remain vital and enthralling for many years to come. –Michael [LISTEN]