To scrounge across the very underground of the metal scene itself means to trudge through a lot of material that lacks so much, but there is always glory to be found if you look close enough. It may not be a whole lot but I promise you it’s there. It’s in seemingly random EPs from very, very minuscule acts that can make your eyebrow raise in interest, and that’s the exact kind of shit that I love seeking out. In the case of Cepaluss, it’s through voracious death metal that this brand new act has made a very respectable start.

It’s more often than not that when I see the phrase “one man” it’s followed up by black metal as that just seems to be where many acts consisting of just one person seem to congregate for one reason or another. But, I like seeing a change of pace every now and then, and even if it’s something minor like a small shift in the style I can be satisfied and that’s the case here as Cepaluss delivers ume the first one-man death act that I’ve seen for far too long. Then, it’s with “Death Fantasies Rise” that this incredibly fresh act delivers a performance that’s promising to say the least. This humble debut has but four tracks to call its own but where it lacks in quantity the sheer presence of the material itself quickly makes up for that fact as Cepaluss delivers to us a sound that’s both crushing and satisfying between eviscerating all foolish enough to step in the way of Cepaluss and the magnificent riffs that simply dominate. And it may take a full listen or two in order to really digest what “Death Fantasies Rise” has to offer despite being a moderately by the books death album, but that doesn’t take away a single ounce of power from the overall performance as well as the quality as Cepaluss provides an experience that is the sort that I normally wouldn’t expect out of such an obscure debut.

This is the exact sort of EP that I like to hear from a brand new band because it really feels as though Cepaluss could take his sound in any direction that he feels. He could go down the path of more distortion, more riffs, more aggression in the style, or simply a more maddening experience and I can’t help but feel confident in his capabilities given the choice cuts “Death Fantasies Rise” offers. Cepaluss may not be an act that will cause massive waves amongst the scene, but I do firmly believe this will be a nice treat to come back to with each release which is always a welcome gift.

LISTEN to “Death Fantasies Rise” on Bandcamp here.