Chicago metal unit, Beware of Gods, have released their new single, “D.I.E. Sect.” It is the final track be made public from their upcoming album, Upon Whom The Last Light Descends Part II: Amnesia Island, due out May 02nd via Invoke Records. Check it out below.
Pre-order Upon Whom The Last Light Descends Part II: Amnesia Island here: https://bewareofgods.bandcamp.com/album/upon-whom-the-last-light-descends-ii-amnesia-island
“If Body Horror was a genre of music this would be it. Think David Cronenberg meets Denis Villeneuve. Post Apocalyptic Psychic Surgery gone terribly wrong. “D. I. E. Sect” (playing on the word dissect) involves a cosmic scalpel in the hands of ‘a psychic surgeon’ aka ‘The Leper King’. The Sect are Exiled Disciples living at an outpost in the desert. They are what I call ‘Prosthetic Monks’. Essentially junkyard cyborgs amalgamated from post apocalyptic pieces of technology. In this piece, our protagonist I Nomad is seeking an ‘easy way out’ of a self inflicted conflict involving a ‘Nameless Dread’ which does not end well”
Upon Whom The Last Light Descends by Beware Of Gods is a IV Part, epic, psychoperatic cathartic concept inspired by The Blind Idiot God from the HP Lovecraft mythos known as Azathoth. Other literary & film inspirations include : Dune, The Matrix, Dracula, Demian, Mad Max, Blade Runner, Jonah & The Whale, & Foundation.
It has been two years since Beware Of Gods arrived on the scene & blew up on Bandcamp acquiring fans from all over the world seemingly overnight. For an independent one man operation on lockdown during the pandemic, working remotely with Kellii Scott of Failure on drums and veteran producer/engineer Mike Tholen (Ministry, Johnny Polonsky, Liz Phair, Buddy Guy), B. O. G. achieved rave reviews & solid international support within in the ‘doom’ and ‘post doom’ community. The tide, however, was already shifting.
With fresh ears & a renewed listen to PT I of Beware Of Gods’ epic saga Upon Whom The Last Light Descends Hath Known Hell and Called It Heaven out now on Invoke Records, it is immediately apparent that while founding member, principal composer, Jason O’Donnell is steeped in an affinity for & consciousness of the proto doom metal tradition, there is way more going on in his compositions & productions than what can be easily placed into one box/genre. That awareness shifts attention to The Archetype’s at times, hauntingly pained melodic voice juxtaposed against ‘blackened’ discordant whispered screams or guttural growls that tip the hat to Chris Cornell, Chino Moreno or Thou as much as perhaps Ozzy Osbourne.
In terms of ambient soundscapes, there are also stellar initial stabs at sound design work on PT I that bring to mind Skinny Puppy or even NIN. From here, my journey into the B. O. G. gets really interesting because after being offered an opportunity to hear rough mixes of songs for PT II & III, the addition of sound design veteran Feederwire & engineer/producer Pete Grossmann (Gates To Hell, Warforged, Weekend Nachos, Frail Body, Scientist, Huntsmen) of Bricktop Recording is already bringing the concept into even more focus & catapulting it into what The Archetype references in the intro “Concussion Dream” as ‘Amnesia Island’.
It is clear upon further listens that The Archetype is taking late night swims in the pools of Radiohead & Failure (ironic in that Kellii Scott plays drums on all tracks) as much as SUNN and Conan. In honoring his past & stitching it together with a commitment to modern relevancy & future vision, Beware Of Gods & The Archetype are clearly on the cusp of something completely fresh, forward thinking & future dooming.
Upon Whom The Last Light Descends Part II: Amnesia Island tracklisting:
I Concussion Dream
II The End Of The Wide Awake Nightmare
III Submerged By The Ghost Of A White Whale
IV The Doomsday Zealot Of Amnesia Island
V Lysergic Liturgies Of A Schizo Messiah
VI D.I.E. Sect
VII The Science Of Slow Moving Monsters
VIII Temple Of Thieves
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