Review: “That Which Wets the Saccharine Palate” by Yaldabaoth

“A study of disgust, contempt, and mockery for all of religion’s existential justifications” is how Yaldabaoth describe their debut album. A group comprising members of Arria Paetus and They Leapt From Burning Windows based in Anchorage, Alaska, tbey recorded and wrote “That Which Whets the Saccharine Palate” at the Unsafe Space during Summer 2018. Re-amping, mixing and mastering was  done at BST Studio, while some additional instrumentation on “To Neither Rot Nor Decay” comes courtesy of Skopt. What promises to be an Underground dissonant satirical Death Black Metal album also features amazing artwork from Pierre Perichaud (Business For Satan). If you’re not sold already, then look away now.

After some sinister and eerie tension with a Jazz inspired introduction “Fecund Godhead Deconstruction” has some bloodcurdling screeches in its Black Metal vocals which step up into some frenzied and frenetic guitar work as blast beats take hold. Those vocals aren’t as incomprehensible as Snorlax but still have plenty of that kind of screech and roar approach that we know and love. The music is chaotic and controlled with that lose raw feel of a storm when it’s in full flow. “Megas Archon 365” is the first of a pair of tracks to pass the 9 minute mark and develop that Death Black Metal sound further. This one first reared its ugly head on a split with Skopt that was released in June 2017 but is six seconds shorter. A song in movements with an unrelenting banshee whale of a vocal, rise and fall kit work and a tight and cleverly constructed pick attack it’s a fine piece of work that doesn’t tire. Lyrically, it’s poetic with with lines like “Beak cracks eggshell ushering cosmic synthesis. Omniscient stretched thin through ebb of space-time.” Though you might struggle to hear it, in a good way. “Gomorrahan Grave of the Sodomite” takes things in a different direction with a slower burn that builds into the frenetic fury of the earlier wrath filled tracks. During each passage of the track comes something new and inventive with collosal highs and crushing lows.

The second half of the record begins with a celestial choral part that builds into the vocally sparse, largely instrumental “To Neither Rot Nor Decay“. Filed with intricacies before it’s brief depiction of mutilation by stoning, it has far less claustrophobia in the way it holds together than a couple of the earlier tracks. That seemingly free form aspect is key to the songs success as it meanders in sonic dynamics before it’s ultimate abhorrent conclusion. Title tracks are often what the band themselves feel is a stand out moment or a summary of you will of the bands sound on the album.  “That Which Whets the Saccharine Palate” from Yaldabaoth is no different and while it’s lyrics read like the hallucinations of madness “Negation immersion. Inherent violence ascribed to otherwise vacant fantasies. Tools rendered weapon in uncertain lights“, musically it continues the heavily Black Metal influenced tones. Saving the best until last “Mock Divine Fury” closes the this chapter in the book Yaldabaoth have written by pouring scorn and contempt on the books of faith. “A Heaven stilted above Hell looming with feigned grandeur: built on the choking gasp, fluid, and broken spines of smothered fools” live and let live, to be alive is to exist. Floating between the frenetic onslaughts and thoughtful Black Metal meanderings, this is one for a cold days night [7/10]

Track listing

1. Fecund Godhead Deconstruction
2. Megas Archon 365
3. Gomorrahan Grave of the Sodomite
4. To Neither Rot Nor Decay
5. That Which Whets the Saccharine Palate
6. Mock Divine Fury

“That Which Wets the Saccharine Palate” by Yaldabaoth is out now and available over at bandcamp