Powered by an insatiable appetite for thoughtful tempos and laborious aggression, Outer Heaven exhausts everything they have with Infinite Psychic Depths (Relapse Records), eleven songs rife with bombastic energy and acidic vocals.
Yours truly (mistakenly) downed a large Americano prior to first listening to this record, which may have amplified some feeling towards it. But this dastardly bunch certainly consumed more than just espresso to compose such a devastating slab of death metal.
Particularly in pace, Outer Heaven succinctly bob and weave in between bouts of bestiality. Maximizing every second the record allows for, there is nary a wasted motion to be found on Infinite…
Distant, encased drum production (‘Soul Remnants’) allows for slamming the shit out of the kit without stealing anyone’s thunder. Besides, there is a surplus of thunder to go around. Proving death metal is best served with equal parts Ragnarok-level destruction and toe-tapping finesse (‘Liquified Mind’), the record doles out haymaker after haymaker.
‘Starcrusher’ is undoubtedly huff-heavy before devolving into sheer predatory tendencies by its conclusion. ‘From Nothingness To Eternity’ requires another Americano even when not performing it. ‘Pallasite Chambers’ is grainy and rustic.
Dizzying soloing coupled with frenetic bass lines further (de)stabilizes Outer Heaven’s propensity for jam-packed tracks.
‘Rotting Stone/D.M.T.’ exemplifies that notion perfectly, cramming unleashed pacing, dazzling stringwork and hazardous harsh vocals.
Another sign of a proficient death metal act is the ability to compose works that differ slightly enough to carve out identities yet never stray from the core.
Despite their name and album title seemingly representing a cosmic atmospheric black metal outfit, Infinite Psychic Depths is Outer Heaven’s emphatic culmination of refusing to relent until every stone has been unturned (or dynamited) and every dismemberment has been completed.
Buy the album here:
https://orcd.co/outerheaven-ipd
8 / 10
MATT COOK