Ingurgitating Oblivion, formerly known as “Of Trees And Orchids” is a German Progressive Death Metal Band known for taking inspiration from Immolation and Morbid Angel while also displaying some stylistic elements which could be attributed to Gorguts. Of note is that Cadence and Perspective in Desolation was released in August of 2001, so it came out almost two decades before the term “disso-death” was coined and before the trend of copying Gorguts to catastrophic results began , as the utilization of dissonance and odd meters doesn’t guarantee good Death Metal. Many bands just focus on weirdness instead of discerning what made albums such as Obscura and Here In After great. It’s the unique interpretation of Death Metal while adding personal touches and a certain urge or artistic desire to draw an effigy of one’s mind. Obscura isn’t a great album because the guitars squeal and scratch in abrupt rhythms, it’s more how a journey after life awaits its conclusion and the way this is portrayed through structure and patterns.
“A Poet’s Fingernails” introduces this EP with a monologue while Sascha Hermersdorf adds an interesting bass line as the monologue leads directly into the second song “La Gitana” which still is listed as an Instrumental. The monologue partly continues through the track, but now some deep guttural growls are added as the whole band sets in. Discordant guitars emerge with striking and punishing chords and crumble into low bends before the chords rejoin. As the second intro to this EP progresses, “Ingurgitating Oblivion” scatters in some raging blast beats and pinch harmonics before the track once again returns to its initial theme.
After two Intro tracks we arrive at “Descent To The Temple” where all aforementioned influences and stylistic elements of Immolation, Morbid Angel and Gorguts become very avid, as the listener instantly recognizes similar riffs to Immolation’s masterpiece Here In After, where a guitar saws it’s way into the listeners ear, bends and twists until the song follows along with more traditional riffs which later on return into a heavy Immolation affair again while Dirk Janssen’s creative and imaginative drumming enhances the brooding and unwelcoming atmosphere of the riffs. Contrary to Here In After, Cadence and Perspective In Desolation doesn’t allow uplifting moments, like in the classic “Christ’s Cage”, which perfectly enhances the artwork’s effect on the listener. The songs are claustrophobic, riffs cycle in an almost repetitive fashion as they tense up, as the mind falls together in itself and as your surroundings shift and shape in the weirdest ways imaginable. Dry, raspy screams get accompanied by furious drums and aching guitars as the mind dwells deeper into madness, whereas steady beats and deep growls try to gasp on the last bits of reality even though it already starts bending and morphing as you walk through the scenery.
A chugging riff opens “Nothingness” before the song descends into a total blur with uninviting chords and disorienting drums, heading into a clear descend into the blackest of reservoirs, before the initial themes return and a lengthy tremolo picked passage leads the song to its final stage.
Finishing Cadence and Perspective in Desolation with “Slumbering in Relativity” shows Ingurgitating Oblivion fully exploring the elements of the EP’s sound, as this is the longest track with a duration of 9 minutes. The song is introduced very frantically, with busy and adventurous riffs showcasing the intricacy and imaginative style of Karsten Schöning’s and Florian Engelke’s playing. The second phase of the song is developed by the use of abruptly played rhythms and longer resting chords very reminiscent of bands like Purulence. The third stage begins with the drum solo of Dirk Janssen halfway through the song. A very rapidly played riff with different elements of dissonant chords and thunderous tremolo picking and technical runs gets accompanied by blasting drums. Through the use of resting some of the lower notes the listener can experience the process of decay as the song progresses to its conclusion which is resembled by a slow and tedious guitar lead that covers the tremolo picked riff of the tracks 2nd movement.
With Cadence and Perspective in Desolation Ingurgitating Oblivion proved that German Metal bands had the potential to have a voice within the modern Death Metal era. Not a voice that favors Malmsteem like guitar virtuosity or Slamming Death Metal, but a voice that only takes from the best of Death Metal and promisingly crafts imaginative narratives of songs with very limited pieces which by themselves already require lots of finesse to be put together. So to speak, Ingurgitating Oblivion don’t succumb to riff salad, they rather keep the amount of riffs low and try to utilize them to their fullest effect, which in this case is the endless descend into desolation.
I feel your call, it reverberates in the void you breathe out.
The mirror lies broken, a pitiful reminiscence of the unity it longs to bear.
Absurd shivers, scattered all over eternity… observing the gradual decay of the structure I once called home…
IT SOUNDS LIKE GORGUTS