25th October 2021

Review: “Swallow the World” by Cyclops Cataract

Before their stunning Cinematic Death Metal album “The Bestiary” that explores Scottish mythology and landed them a deal with Planet K Records (Kneel, Hadal, Devistating Light) along with critical acclaim, Cyclops Cataract unleashed hell on the unsuspecting masses with “Swallow The World“. Describing themselves in September 2020 as “a metal band from Aberdeen, Scotland. We mix black metal, death metal and grindcore with more gentle ambient passages. Ying and Yang. We try to carve our own sonic path“, Craig Sinkins (Vocals), Scott Hogg (Guitar, Keyboard), James Dron (Guitar), Mark Robertson (Bass) and Chris Wilkie (Drums) were new at the game. So we were naturally intrigued by the EP, drawn to its dark calling…

…while their masterpiece is a concept album, this first burnt offering on the surface at least is not so, instead a collection of intertwining pieces of work that show all of the promise of what was to come. The quality of the recording is a little on the raw side and there is a little bit too much reverb in the guitar work but “Descending” is a majestic instrumental piece that actually sounds more like ascension than anything else before “Raise the Banners” goes full on with something that sounds like a Between The Buried And Me demo. The vocals are harsh demonic rantings with a certain amount of Avant-garde nature to the sonic excursions that surround them like a shroud of darkness. However this isn’t about who can play the lowest and the guitar tone itself is actually a warmer mid level affair with some suitably impressive moments of twist in almost Mathcore that remind of bands like Zao while the aching piano passage that closes this one is stunning. The dark beauty of the harrowing tale of “Cyclops” is told in the first person and perhaps suggests something lurking beneath the surface before stand out “Contagion” takes to flight. It has one of those earworm riffs that refuses to budge from your brain no matter how much you listen to anything else, while the mid cut piano passage is another music box piece that is deeply haunting before the orchestration lifts us into Solemnity esq stylings of otherworldly beauty. Offering the most brutal riffs here “The Deep” also has a synth part straight out the score from the 1979 “Alien” movie as a depiction of a Sea beast rising from the black depths unfolds. This begs not only to be heard but to be held aloft and cherished [7.5/10]

Track listing