Review: “The Dying Planet Weeps” by Engulf

Having released an unholy trinity of story driven EPs in a three year stretch that began in 2017 with “Subsumed Atrocities“, Blasphemous guitarist Hal Microutsicos has seen his solo project Engulf reach critical mass. Entering the studio with Chris Kelly in the winter of 2021 to record a debut album “The Dying Planet Weeps” with the assistance of Darkened bassist Giacomo Gastaldi and a trio of guest vocalists the mission was completed by the end of the spring of 2022. Two years on and the album was mastered for vinyl by Carlo Altobelli (Deathfiend, Drieu, Vision Deprived) at Toxic Basement Studios in Milan Italy and now finally sees the cold light of day…

A southern twang of dissonant chords brings “Withered Suns Collapse” to life with the sense that something wicked this way comes and 71 seconds later the gnarly Death Metal begins as the drum machine hits overdrive. As you might expect, the mechanical nature of that beast makes it sound a little flat but in truth the brain is pre-occupied by the combination of bouncy slapped bass and frenetic riffage, not to mention a vocal performance from Hal Microutsicos that threatens to make the eyes bleed. Yet bizarrely there is a warped melody that makes you feel uneasy, while the more technical parts are quite delicious. The first of the guests is Kevin Muller of Alluvial who lends this throat to one called “Bellows From The Aether” which is laced with classic Death Metal atmospherics. The approach maybe modern but there are a wealth of nods to the school of the old and this one feels like a Suffocation demo with its staccato riff break infestations and bowel clenching gravelly guttural lows. As if that wasn’t menacing and sinister enough, “The Nefarious Hive” finds the legend that is Sven de Caluwé of Aborted at the microphone for a masterclass in Groove Death. Intriguingly it’s not as fast or as unhinged as you might expect but that’s part of its dark charm; the lack of any shackles giving them freedom to paint the white to grey as they see fit. “Ominous Grandeur” sounds exactly as the title suggests as a majestic slow crawl over broken glass with a couple of elegant tempo shifts the feed the senses. Soaked in dirge laden Death Metal riffs which have the feel of a venomous snake slithering over shifting desert sands, the throat splitting vocals from Microutsicos threaten to cross the void into Slam Metal, it’s a statement piece that demonstrates that idle hands really are the devil’s workshop.

Another beast of a track with an incredible atmosphere “Lunar Scourge” is pure science fiction horror. Cleverly the vocals are clean enough that the lyrics can all be heard and yet unclean enough to satisfy the hunger so absolutely nothing is lost in translation. After the pair of mid tempo skull crushing monsters the intensity is turned up for “Plagued Oblivion” as Microutsicos spits pure napalm during another tale of wanton destruction. A whispered moment sends a chill down the spine while the intricate rhythmic patterns are masterfully done. There is so much going on at points that you’ll hear new moments rise out of the mix over multiple listens, the brain simply not able to comprehend all that this one has to offer, not to mention the guest solo from Pat Bonvin of Near Death Condition. “Earthbore” brings forth the third and final guest vocal appearance with Enrico “H.” Di Lorenzo of Technical Death Metal masters Hideous Divinity joining the party. Another one with cunningly deceptive pacing, it has fleeting bursts of blasting that permeate the brooding riffs and scald the ear drums. Delicately poised there are some Doom Metal melodies in this one which lay underneath the surface, the warm solo that finishes this one an absolute work of art. An instrumental to close as the title track might not be expected but “The Dying Planet Weeps” offers something that would work incredibly well in a movie scene, as the protagonist prepares for that final moment… [7.5/10]

Track Listing

1. Withered Suns Collapse
2. Bellows From The Aether (ft. Kevin Muller of Alluvial)
3. The Nefarious Hive (ft. Sven de Caluwé of Aborted)
4. Ominous Grandeur
5. Lunar Scourge
6. Plagued Oblivion (ft. Pat Bonvin of Near Death Condition)
7. Earthbore (ft. Enrico “H.” Di Lorenzo of Hideous Divinity)
8. The Dying Planet Weeps

“The Dying Planet Weeps” by Engulf is out 12th January 2024 via Everlasting Spew Records with pre-orders available over at bandcamp.