Many bands over the years have incorporated H.P. Lovecraft’s work into their projects. Newcomers from Nottingham, England, Outergods, not only named themselves after the big baddies from the Cthulhu mythos, but even their overall sound instills fear and madness. A little over a half hour in length, A Kingdom Built Upon the Wreckage of Heaven (Prosthetic Records), debuts the haunting blend of black metal and grindcore this UK outfit has unleashed into the void for gods and mortals alike.

Speaking of the void, “Into The Howling Void” kicks off matters after a quick intro track which immediately drives you into madness. Screeching vocals, panic-inducing guitar riffs with lots of string bending, and thunderous drumming with some blast beats sets expectations on what is to come on this journey through the cosmos. 

“Nothing But A Fetid Worm” slightly deviates from the rest of the work by Outergods on this record as they lean more so on the black metal side in the first half. D-beat drumming and chord progressions that remind of second-generation black metal start off and then back to blast beats with uneasy string-bending guitar riffs to complete the song. “Catacombs Of Madness” starts the final act of the album with unrelenting grindcore that is meant to hammer your mind like puddy. 

Suddenly, the sound switches to a slower-paced black metal passage that works similar to a breakdown and is an absolute headbanger of a section.

It always makes me wonder if Lovecraft ever expected to be so popular more than eighty years after his death, let alone in extreme music. Outergods is certainly looking to carry the torch of his work through their lyrics and version of blackened grindcore on A Kingdom Built Upon the Wreckage of Heaven. 

This album really grabbed me with its abrasive guitar and vocal work while also making me feel uneasy throughout the whole album. I would say the sky is the limit for these lads, but they are already beyond, looming in the outer reaches of the universe.

Buy the album here:

https://outergodsuk.bandcamp.com/album/a-kingdom-built-upon-the-wreckage-of-heaven

8 / 10

TIM LEDIN