Petrification – Sever Sacred Light
Release Date: 9th February 2024
Label: Svart Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Death Metal
FFO: Autopsy, Bolt Thrower, Coffins, Grave.
Review By: Paul Cairney
Sever Sacred Light is an album that, if you have the slightest enjoyment of Death Metal, should be nestling near the top of your ‘must buy’ list. The 2nd album by Portland band Petrification, it is an unrelenting slab of magnificent old school death metal, fuelled by the bands love of Autopsy, Bolt Thrower, Coffins as well as other notable Finnish Death Metal bands.
There are literally no weak tracks on this album, there is no let up, no respite from the gargantuan riffs slung about with unfettered abandon. Opening track, ‘Twisted Visions of Creation’ opens with a demonic guitar screaming in pain, then supplanted by one of the monstrously deep riffs that permeate throughout the 36-minute run time.
Vocals are spat out by Jason Barnett in a manner that demands you listen to the lyrics closely. Yes, they are dirty growled vocals, but for many of the tracks, the lyrics are relatively distinguishable. This aids the album considerably, as each listen saw me focusing on the individual elements that make up the album. Sever Sacred Light is absolutely the sum of its parts, with each element combining seamlessly in its path to Old School Death Metal glory!
Often, bands that attempt to harness the old school sound of the genre fall down in at least 1 area. Perhaps the production is not quite right, the guitar tone doesn’t quite fit, or perhaps they are just trying too hard. Petrification provide no flaws, no missteps. 4th track, ‘Cadaverous Delirium’ is a case in point. The tone of the track is perfect, it would fit in an album by Grave. The production has the right touch of classic Death Metal and the delivery of the track by the band help make it a stand-out in the album.
The short running time of the album is, perhaps, the only disappointing thing about Sever Sacred Light. All of a sudden, it reaches its climax, and the crushing disappointment is only tempered by the fact that the play button is only a touch away.
Petrification have released as good a Death Metal album as I have heard for a long time from a band that doesn’t have 20–30 years of history behind them. Sever Sacred Light is brutally heavy in the most accessible of ways and should be in your collection.
(4.5 / 5)
