Review: “The Gehenna Complex” by Null Existence (2nd Anniversary)

The evidence has been submitted to the court and the defendants plead the fifth amendment simply because they believe “The Gehenna Complex” speaks for itself. Released in the summer of 2021 it finds Washington two piece Deathcore fundamentalists Null Existence making their debut with multi instrumentalist mastermind Joey Hancock, subsequently known for his work in Psalm of Abhorrence joined by vocalist Greg Gilbert of Shrine of Malice fame. Together they sent their malevolent creations Phil Pluskota (Slugcrust, Misery Signals, Beyond Deviation) of Sonic Assault Studios mixing and mastering before allowing it to destroy our ear drums…

After a sombre and melancholic introduction the haunting shadows are shattered by the sheer power of the down-tuned Deathcore riffs and a drum machine going full throttle to decimate the weak in “False Kings“. Greg Gilbert vocally crosses from shriller moments into bowel clenching lows with influences in Slam, Deathcore and Death Metal on parade in the pummelling assault on the ear drums. Tyler Boylan of The Eating Cave fame adds a virtuoso and downright flamboyant extended solo that builds on the sinister atmospheric like a lightening bolt from a wrathful God, the combination of the crushing rhythms and their subsequent enhancement being something that is nothing short of jaw dropping. “The Plague of Humanity” marks the only guest free cut of the record and finds the duo in similar territory to bands like The Stygian Complex with savage vocals that sound as if they are from a split personality, giving the impression that Gilbert is not one vocalist but two. The sweeping leads are majestic to the point that you may wonder if the guest solos were even necessary, lifting what is otherwise a punishment beating to a new realm of hellish existence before a Downtempo Deathcore breakdown section that leaves you feeling like a tank has just rolled over your skull. Last but by no means least “Resurrecting Hades” finds the duo joined by Chris Paz of Shrine of Malice for a cut that sits in the Bermuda triangle between styles with majestic leads once more giving rise to pulsating rhythmic battery. Augmented by samples and a spoken word that finds Gilbert admitting to Mental Health struggles as the onslaught of hellish riffs swirls around his vocals like an invisibility cloak, the destructive power of the cut is not one to be underestimated. A powerhouse of an introduction to an unsuspecting World, “The Gehenna Complex” is a legion of monstrous Kaiju rising from the ocean to take your soul [8/10]

Track Listing

1. False Kings (ft. Tyler Boylan of The Eating Cave)
2. The Plague of Humanity
3. Resurrecting Hades (ft. Chris Paz of Shrine of Malice)

“The Gehenna Complex” by Null Existence is out now, everywhere you would expect it to be