I’ve always wanted to get lost an in an asylum. You know one of those old, ransack, nearly-torn down ones that’s teeming with asbestos and is allegedly haunted. *coughbullshitcough* That’s not happening anytime soon unless I win the reality TV show lottery here in America (and by “win” I mean “lose” because fuck that shit) and get to go fuck off with the ass clowns (a.k.a. “ghost” hunters). So for now you and I can enjoy something else instead. Our own little trip to the asylum.
Back Door to Asylum are a technical, brutal death metal unit out of Moscow, Russia, a country that I haven’t heard a whole lot of music out of unfortunately. Though if Back Door to Asylum are anything like the local music scene (which I could probably easily explore through Bandcamp), there’s a lot to be had over there. Their sophomore album Cerberus Millenia is as spiraling as the twisting corridors of any horror movie asylum you’re likely to come across.
Fast moving are the first words that come to mind when listening to Cerberus Millenia. The instrumental opening track “Manifestations” sets the stage for the rest of the album. It opens the doors for the listener like its undoing a plethora of pad locks. Once “Auroral Plasmagenesis” flies on Back Door to Asylum fire forward on a pistons. Tracks are chock full of riffage that’s almost stumbling over itself to give you the most brutal package available.
For the most part, songs stick to the formula: lots of insane riffage. On top of insane riffage. On top of more riffage. And you know what? All of it is really damn good. Tracks like “Inception to Genocide” sound like they’re losing their shit as they riff harder and harder. It’s when the album breaks on “Gravity Inverse”, a moody five-minute drone/noise track that features dialogue from the excellent film Event Horizon, that it really occurred to me how much Back Door to Asylum was tearing it up.
What a lot of people are going to notice about this band is that they in no way do anything new. However, they are incredibly solid in their approach. Songs have a tight structure and seldom slow down. “Pitch Black Purity” has some breakdowns in it but the band is still running at full throttle. A lot of scales and pinch harmonics are run throughout. The band doesn’t go on any crazy solos and instead opts for a more Wormed infused approach.
Oddly enough, for full length the album doesn’t really feel like it ends. Cerberus Millenia just kinda runs out of songs. Though “The Convergance Process” is just as good and speed/tech happy as the rest of the record, once the track ends its like dead weight dropping out of the sky. It’s just over. Then again, maybe that’s just the door slamming on you; like, oh, here you are, locked in the asylum. No warning. Boom, lock the door, lose the key, turn out the lights, and let the sweet sound of silence fill the room.
If you enjoy the aforementioned Wormed or Nile then Back Door to Asylum is going to be right up your alley. The instrument work is deadly good, with some very technical guitar and drumming that shoots off in all directions. The album doesn’t offer much in variety but when it comes to technical death metal, this is some high grade shit. Plus insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. In that way the name works even better. But I digress (no all the songs don’t, in fact sound the same, they just don’t offer much variety in approach), most band’s debut records aren’t this good or focused. A trip to the asylum might be just what you need.
As always, you can find me here.
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