Civerous – Maze Envy
Civerous – Maze Envy
20 Buck Spin
Release Date: 22/03/2024
Running Time: 42:00
Review by Rory Bentley
9/10
I’m not normally massively one for Death Doom but when I see something with that 20 Buck Spin stamp of approval on it I’m more than ready for it to be my jam regardless of subgenre, and once again this proves to be the case with Civerous and their delightfully vile yet impressively nuanced opus “Maze Envy”.
After some frankly petrifying layered strings that sound like they’re being used to decapitate demons in the unsettling intro track ‘The Azure Eye’, my arse immediately begins to fall out when the devastating crunch of ‘Shrouded In Crystals’ kicks in with a guitar tone akin to being elbow dropped into a tar pit by a woolly mammoth. The magnificently monikered vocalist Lord Foul sounds like he’s ingested a porcupine sandwich and is trying to shit it out after shoving glass up his arse and drummer Aidan Neuner is impressively able to transition effortlessly from bone-crushing swamp grooves to a break neck Death Metal attack while wrangling this group of audio sickos together.
This would be impressive enough in and of itself, but the band have more strings to their bow than merely being a deranged human muck spreader. ‘Levitation Tomb’, for example, is prime sludgy progressive Post-Metal in places, managing to carve out an ambience that goes beyond mere terror to something that conjures some sort of Lovecraftian existential nightmare. One can focus one’s attention on the primal ass-beating Metal or zoom out and let the ethereal atmospherics wash over you and be satisfied either way.
The title track is another stunner, initially coming in sounding like a descent into the ninth circle of hell before settling into a stomping neck-breaking groove that sounds like it’s being played on a pneumatic drill, all while ominous synthesisers add bone-chilling texture to this audio horrorscape. Amid the barrage of molten Death there is a brief oasis of clean guitars and tranquil strings before the whole thing decapitates you with furious blast beats, inhuman screeches and tremolo picked artillery fire. It’s a stunning achievement that ends on a surprisingly majestic note, like a beautiful string elegy to your now broken body.
‘Geryon (The Plummet)’ sees the disparate elements of string and harrowing Doom riffs finally meld together rather than alternating with each other as in previous tracks. The results are absolutely stunning and all the more impactful for the band not being overly reliant on this element, meaning we get a truly triumphant finale rather than just another really good 10 minute song.
Honestly I really loved this album. Despite its jagged edges and intentional antagonism, there’s something beautiful about it amidst all the toxic filth. There are more than a few elements that remind me of Inter Arma and I really can’t pay it any higher compliment than that. In a genre that deals in misery, “Maze Envy” is surprisingly uplifting and it is clear this darkest of bands has a bright future.
TRACKLISTING:
01. The Azure Eye
02. Shrouded In Crystals
03. Endless Symmetry
04. Labrynith Charm
05. Levitation Tomb
06. Maze Envy
07. Geryon (The Plummet)
LINE-UP:
Naraka- Bass
D.S.- Guitars
A.S.- Guitars
Lord Foul- Vocals
Aidan Neuner- Drums
LINKS:
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