Blood Monolith – The Calling of Fire
Release Date: 16th May 2024
Label: Profound Lore Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Death Metal
FFO: Hate Eternal, Ænigmatum, Cryptopsy, Defeated Sanity.
Review By: Eric Wilt
When you bring together members and ex-members of extreme metal bands like Nails, Undeath, Ulthar, Genocide Pact, and Vastum, expectations soar—and Blood Monolith does not disappoint. Delivering a relentless barrage of Hate Eternal-style blast beat-driven death metal, the band emerges as a brutal force, channeling fury, speed, and chaos into every track.
From the opening moments, the listener is dropped headfirst into a maelstrom of ferocity. The drums are punishing, the riffs razor-sharp, and the overall intensity is explosive. Yet amid the storm of face-melting tempos, Blood Monolith also knows how to groove. The Owl in Daylight especially shows their ability to slip rhythm-heavy sections that add weight to the tumult of turbocharged riffs.
Aidan Tydings-Lynch’s performance behind the kit deserves special recognition. Not only is he a beast back there, but his sparing but striking use of rototoms adds an unusual tonal texture rarely heard in death metal (with a few exceptions). Guitar solos, while not overly showy, are well-crafted and satisfying, cutting through the chaos with just enough melody to draw blood.
The overall sound is often cacophonous and even unnerving—an intentional effect that mirrors the band’s unflinching approach to extremity. This isn’t death metal that seeks accessibility; it’s death metal that seeks to obliterate.
For fans of scorching speed, sonic violence, and the outer reaches of musical hostility, this is essential listening. If you’re a fan of any of the bands mentioned, or just love blistering death metal, you’re sure to love The Calling of Fire.
(4.5 / 5)
