Destroyer of Light

Progeny of doomicus metallicus with a bite of epicus, Destroyer of Light nosedives into southern depths and casts shadows of Candlemass across a bewitched odyssey through a pitch-black underworld. Chorus pedals light the candelabra, placing standalones like "Falling Star" into the songbook of Ozzy balladry. While pondering the deep dark, vocalist Steve Colca backs away from the shrill chills of King Diamond, instead reclining his larynx lazily in an angry alt-rock chair, as if Johan Längqvist were buried under the flesh of Dave Grohl and screaming. Though the Austinites neatly wring the filth out from their minor chords, mid-chud rhythms drag listeners into hell with the patience of a snail and the expediency of a hypnotist. String metal skits like "The Unknown" and "Into the Abyss" slow the pulse of their cadaver's chronicle, but linear crawls-n-sprawls like the masterful centerpiece "Burning Darkness" provide enough fat to survive the death eternal.