| The terrific 3rd full-length by this notable Melbourne based band. Borne out of the members desire to see a resurgence of a heavier, more dissonant style of Death Metal back in 2006, Ignivomous were among the first wave of bands to reignite interest in the genre in the first decade of this century. "Hieroglossia" preserves the core membership of the band present throughout its tenure -Sean Hinds (guitar), Chris Broadway (drums) and Jael Edwards (vocals)- and presents the recording debut of Lewis Fischer (Altars) on guitar and Chris Jordon (Inverloch, Eskhaton) on bass, both of whom have cemented the bandīs live assault for the previous few years in a campaign of high-profile shows in their native Australia. This lineup in its current form has secured and built upon the bandīs unrelentingly legacy, oozing raw, sinister Death Metal pushed a step further into the void, creating an album which synthesizes the bands influences with a definitive and individual vision. While projecting a murky and atmospheric take on the Death Metal template, the eight organic and primal songs on "Hieroglossia" avoid sacrificing the primacy of the riff for reverb-drenched formlessness, or songwriting in favour of dissonance for its own sake. Thematically, "Hieroglossia" continues Ignivomousī investigation into topics of philosophical pessimism, influenced by the works of Thomas Ligotti and E.M. Cioran, and gnostic concepts of the fallen and hostile nature of the material world, presented throughout with a literary sensibility which should be accustomed to those familiar with their previous output. Previously released on LP through Nuclear War Now! in November 2019, "Hieroglossia" was also released as a strictly limited tour edition digisleeve that was available for purchase during the bandīs European tour in late 2019. That digisleeve version did not include the official cover art and was roughly mastered. Memento Moriīs version is presented in a regular jewel case, featuring the original cover art and layout by Stefan Thanneur, and a proper mastering work by James Plotkin (O.L.D., Khanate) at his own Plotkinworks Studio. |
