Any album or band that manages to rise above the limitations of the style at hand and become much more than a standard run-of-the-mill creation with a sound that’s even slightly dynamic that manages to really hold the attention of the listener is a creation that I will always find worthwhile and interesting. It’s become much more common in recent years to see such acts and creations come into reality, but that has never once detracted from the gravity of such an instance with every occasion being something to behold. With its first full-length album, Destillat has absolutely crafted such a work with every ounce being the exact sort of delectable death metal that immediately qualifies as such.

If you’re like me, just seeing the very presentation of this album from the cover art and the album’s title itself gives off the vibe that this band falls very well within the boundaries of black metal, but it’s once you come into contact with those scathing vocals and unrelenting intensity that you truly begin to realize what exactly you’re in for. With that said, though, it’s not hard for at any point throughout “Under Black Horizons” to feel as though Destillat was content at crafting an album that can be considered as pure death metal for the seeds of plenty of other styles are laced throughout the performance that effortlessly enhances the effort as a whole. Quickly, it shows us that Destillat is capable of so much more than standard death metal brutality with so many different cues across the realm of the metal spectrum but still having the capacity to dip its toes into broader sounds like what can be heard in the finale. It makes for the exact sort of death metal that always keeps you guessing while never venturing too far from the core ideals that death metal has boasted since its beginnings just close enough that it doesn’t alienate longtime fans of the sound without never once letting tradition get in the way of trying something interesting that sets Destillat apart from the rest. And set apart they very much are with the very whole of “Under Black Horizons” showing us so much of what they’re capable of with a multi-faceted performance that is a real blast to listen to right from the outset without any given track giving us a reason for pause or to back out as Destillat truly delivers all the way to the end.

While I will never tire of seeing what new boundaries any brand of metal is capable of through ways of innovative thinking and songwriting, there’s always something to be said for the bands that don’t go all the way in trying to make something entirely new for it can oftentimes be in the dead middle between innovation and tradition that compelling material can be made with bands like Destillat showing us how it’s done. If there is to be anything gleaned from any facet of this record it’s the simple reality that “Under Black Horizons” has a lot more to offer than we may initially expect with the future of Destillat looking all but promising.

LISTEN “Under Black Horizons” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Destillat on Facebook here.