PURGATORY – Apotheosis of Anti Light
Release Date: 1st April 2022
Label: War Anthem Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Death Metal, Tech Death Metal, Thrash-Death.
FFO: Vader, Vomitory, Wombbath, Morbid Angel, Deicide.
Review By: Andy Spoon
Trying to find “Purgatory” by name alone on Spotify is a chore, as no less than half a dozen artists might come up under the same name. However, in the metal community of Northern Europe, only one project ought to come to mind. Playing under the same name since 1996, Purgatory have continued their speed assault into the 2022 year with their most recent LP Apotheosis of Anti Light, a 45-minute, 9-track attempt at showing their audience the most mature and advanced material yet.
When considering some of their earlier releases, you can immediately hear that the speedy, thrashy tech-death roots which have never failed to be the marquee value of Purgatory’s main sound. Every album, every track extremely fast, brutal, and violative of the general peace. One of the main differences of Purgatory’s growth as artists is the retention of certain elements, while still experimenting with others. Primarily, the blasting tempo on drums, chopping 16th notes on guitar, and “guttural”-technique vocals are constant. The biggest changes come from the mastering and recording differences between 2005’s Luciferianism, to 2016’s Omega Void Tribunal.
Considering all of that, the differences come forward a little more in Purgatory’s most recent work, namely going to a “thicker”, but also cleaner recording and mastering style of Apotheosis of Anti Light. Literally everything is just louder, more transparent, and mixed with more emphasis on contemporary recording trends and styles. This is not reflective of anything musically, but more indicative of their recognition of the fact that death metal audiences are starting to move towards better-recorded music with emphasis on production quality, which Purgatory doesn’t disappoint.
Musically, the album is more diverse between raging speed sections and melodic interludes to give each song additional dynamics that were not as present on prior releases. There are certainly more sections in which the beat transitions between death thrash speeds and half-time breakdowns (a term with varied meanings in the metal community these days). Thematically, each track doesn’t seem to wander or get lost in its own movements. Tracks with more of a musical element (than simply thrash, rather), follow the musical phrasing when transitioning in and out of the heavier parts of the song. Tracks with more melodic, musical elements include (We Declare) War, Ropes in November (Samhain’s Curse Pt III), The Moaning of Dismal Halls, and Pantheon of Slaughters.
One of the biggest differences comes in the form of the drums, which rely on less of the blast beats to drive the rhythm, giving more variation to the tempo between bass and snare drum. The cymbals are recorded clearly, allowing the percussion aspect to give additional dynamic to the high and low parts of each phrase. This can boost the dynamic range of the track, helping to keep a song in that “sweet” spot between metric rhythm and “showing off” behind the kit. It works well, and most listeners will appreciate the drum tracking across the album. On the faster, heavier tracks, the drums have plenty of punch, helping to create variation between the parts you headbang to, and kick back and enjoy.
Guitars and vocals are very much the same as the last couple albums, and it really where the continuity of Purgatory’s “sound” is locked up. There are low, chugging, strums followed by staccato suspended “blackened” chords on the higher end, dancing between blackened death, to thrash, and back to death metal. The use of the guitar to help the melodic breaks on some of the tracks is expertly-performed.
Vocally, the recording is excellent. Mixing is done to keep some of the technique consistent to allow the pitch and enunciation to come through without sounding too compressed or flat. Frankly, it’s the highlight of the album, as the animalistic and violent growls match the music section and the rhythm so well. There is more than enough vocal variation in technique to help any listener enjoy all three elements (Death, Thrash, Blackened) across the album. Any listener ought to enjoy the completeness and well-rounded nature of the album. Thankfully, the recording quality allows the listener to avoid any “flat spots” on the album to prevent complacency or boredom, something this reviewer hopes will continue in the band’s future work. 
(4 / 5)
