Review: Heresiarch “Death Ordinance”

Heresiarch “Death Ordinance”
Dark Descent Records

In a bestial, raw, unforgiving and utterly ruthless way, Heresiarch present their newest incarnation of death, “Death Ordinance”. This new blood soaked release is filled with eight brain bashing, neck twisting and bone crushing blackened death metal tracks. With slashing riffs, pummeling drumming and savage blood curdling vocals, Heresiarch barrels toward you at mach speed hacking and slashing at you until your head has been removed completely from your body. “Death Ordinance” begins with “Consecrating Fire” which begins with a light hum that builds and builds into a louder hum that eventually melts into nothingness as harsh riffs, roaring vocals and pounding drumming takes over. “Consecrating Fire” is one of the only songs on this release that is of the slower, more methodical variety. “Consecrating Fire” moves along at a slow burning pace for the entirety of the song setting the damning and blackened tone for the rest of the record.

The following song to “Consecrating Fire” doesn’t treat you as well. “Storming Upon Knaves” shoots out of your speakers blasting away having no regard for life what so ever. The majority of the tracks on this record are faster paced, in your face and utterly destructive, while others are a mixture of slower tempos and faster tempos. Heresiarch does a great job of sewing slow tempos with quicker ones never lurching to one or the other but sewing them together nicely to create an organic and cohesive sound. While the up tempo blasting of the soul punishing blackened death metal certainly is neck twisting, the more down tempo moments are just as heavy as the provide you with an incredibly weighty sound. No matter what tempo the song is being played at at the moment, each song is very heavy and Heresiarch never takes a note or a second off providing you with nothing but tortuous blackened death.

“Death Ordinance” moves along nicely sewing each song together providing you with a comprehensive listen. Each of the eight tracks on this release are just as damning, harsh and piercing as the others and Heresiarch never really gives you too much time to breathe either. No matter where it is that you turn on this record, the bitter coldness of death awaits in each track. Not only is each track as sinister as the last, but the majority of the run times on this record are pretty substantial which gives Heresiarch plenty of time to mangle you before throwing you in a damp grave.

“Death Ordinance” ends on a slower note coming full circle. “Desert of Ash” is the title of the closing track and it tops seven minutes in length gifting to you a slow death. Much like the opener, “Desert of Ash” builds and builds until the buzzing poisonous riffs and gut punching drums kick in. This song rumbles along at a slow speed slowly grinding your bones as it does so. In this closing track you can feel death and despair ooze from your speakers encasing you in dismal and abyssal death. “Desert of Ash” is a great song to close out the record as it provides you with one last dirge of death before fading away only for you to press play once more.