2nd September 2024

Review: “Communion” by Dark Usurper

PRIMAL. DISSONANT. DEATH.

2019 saw the arrival of “Mortal Dissonance” by Columbus Georgia based Deathcore collective Dark Usurper, a record that was just as much a debut album as a statement of intent. Left to fester in a dark, damp basement dwelling hell for the past five years the band have returned with an EP completed in DIY or DIE fashion, vocalist Alex Morford and guitarist Colt Culpepper writing, recording, mixing and mastering in house. The only outsourcing came with the artwork from Ikosidio and the drums, which with the exception of “Death Worship“, were written by Bryce Butler of Shadow of Intent.

The bludgeoning begins with “Blood Effigy“, the bowel clenching, gravity defying lows of the guitars having that menacing and sinister quality as they crawl out of the tar pit like a stricken beast. Circling the drain of downtempo and yet having a distinctive slow head bang of a groove they’re worth the admittance fee alone and that’s before we’ve mentioned the later eerie haunting moments as the duo prove that Deathcore can indeed be atmospheric if they put their collective minds to it. Morford’s vocals are a little on the shriller side of throat splitting but every word hits like battery acid so there is no mistaking what he has to say. To the untrained ear it’s hard to tell if the drums have been programmed by Bryce Butler or performed by another drummer, which is in part down to the evil qualities of the hellscape that has been created for our listening (dis)pleasure, the intensity only matched by the crushing power of a black hole. Harsh and wrathful “Communion” lurches between blackened moments of blast beats and staccato riff break infestations, the sheer sonic power enough to cleave flesh from bone. Once more the duo bring in some science fiction horror sounds to create at atmospheric but there are still plenty of bone shattering breakdown moments to sink your teeth into. The primitive and primal introduction to “Death Worship” may catch you off guard, the ethereal moments that follow feeling like the duo have torn a hole in the space time continuum with their dirge laden riffage. A Slam inspired that hits like an anvil with a single verse to annihilate, this one is going to crush you before you’ve even had a chance to flinch [7.5/10]

Track Listing