Review: “Towards a Futile Existence” by Escarion

Having explored the seven deadly sins and examining their impact on the human psyche with their critically acclaimed 2021 debut album “Pillars Of Faith“, Melbourne Australian outfit Escarion return with an album which focuses on modernity and the impacts it has on the soul. They consider it both a warning of our current trajectory, as well as a reflection on the pain and struggle of life in a world where nihilism is prevailing. In order to make it happen they returned to the pair who made their debut sound great, recording and mixing their sophomore album “Towards a Futile Existence” with Chris Themelco at Monolith Studios before mastering with Thomas Plec Johannson (Scar Symmetry, Mayhem, Soilwork) at The Panic Room…

80 seconds of angelic female vocal set against a sombre soundscape gives a deep seated melancholic nature to the bleak lyrics of opening cut and title track “Towards a Futile Existence“. Even when the violent uncleans rise to the surface of the tar pit, the crushing Progressive Death Metal guitar work has a buried piano accompaniment that aches and burns as Escarion purposefully don’t quite break free from their shackles. The intension to create a depth of feeling and juxtaposition of contrast is obvious and works incredibly well, the rich and vibrant solos cutting against the savage vocal strains to create a magnum opus of a beast that could have easily outrun its eight minute play time with another verse and chorus. Washing those bloodstained hands clean with sample “May Hell Prevail on Earth” then finds Escarion in an alternate realm with an Extreme Metal monster that frees them from those female vocals but keeps them delicate synths and dances with Death once more. At first going harder and heavier they then transcend into a gloriously playful sound with hints at orchestral style compositions in Progressive Death Metal perhaps on the horizon given how majestically epic this sounds. “Gateways” has ethereal qualities as angelic and almost operatic female vocals are used sparingly to enhance the shriller unclean roars, this one having a pulsating solo in the final third that blows the mind. Add to that the depth of the well thought out lyrical narrative and you have a powerful combination of punches that a prize fighter would be proud to have in their arsenal. Jack hammer footwork from drummer Tim Bottams gives a tasteful rumble to the opening of “Memoirs of Madness“, his masterclass from behind the kit truly spellbinding at times. It feels strange to describe a Progressive Death Metal record as darkly elegant but that’s exactly what this is, the band having created something with flamboyance and texture, their musicianship across these tracks second to none.

A cut to stir the soul, there is a real weight to the spiritual journey of “Dynasty of Decadence“, the sense of the tortured soul rising to the surface and marrying into the over arching theme of the album nicely. Melodic Death Metal influences are rife with the stunning leads on this one being nothing short of mesmerising. After the bleakness of the previous cut “Pandemonium” returns to more playful Death Metal sounds with shades of Nekrogoblikon and even Cradle Of Filth to be found in this Pandora’s box of disgusting delights. Gang chants of “we are!” are aimed at getting crowd interaction into the live show and work perfectly in this setting, the haunting flamenco style acoustic solo adding to the dark majesty of this tale from Diablo. Unlike other records in which the synths can be overpowering, here they’re used sparingly in order to add a little decadence and texture. A face melting solo at the beating black heart of “Zeitgeist” is masterful, the guitar orientated assault on the senses with some real throat splitting raspy uncleans still having the warmth of the cleans to give it a different edge. How the outfit have managed to strike the balance between the elements is intriguing because they have somehow managed to give themselves a bigger sound without taking anything away from their brutality. There are several moments of spoken word during the course of the album and each feels a little more art lead than the next, the one that leads into “Empire” reaching almost poetic heights. A spellbinding call from the abyss, this grand finale is a dramatic, theatrical death march into the flames of self immolation waving humanities white flag with an evil grin. It shouldn’t be possible to achieve this level of greatness but somehow, against all the odds, Escarion have created a second magnum opus of an album, chemically enhancing what they did the first time around… [9/10]

Track Listing

1. Towards a Futile Existence
2. May Hell Prevail on Earth
3. Gateways
4. Memoirs of Madness
5. Dynasty of Decadence
6. Pandemonium
7. Zeitgeist
8. Empire

“Towards a Futile Existence” by Escarion is out on 31st October 2023 with pre-orders available over at bandcamp.