More often than not, the very injection and usage of atmosphere and dissonance in the realms of extreme metal tend to reside under the banners of black and doom metal with throngs of names out there offering proof of concept for that day in and day out. To see it happen in death metal, however, is much rarer for it can be quite tricky to bring any sort of atmosphere to such an uncompromising sound such that an attempt doesn’t come out as anything more than a mere interlude or intro; dripping in catacombs, howling wind, screams in an unknown abyss, etc. It’s such that when a band does achieve it in a grandiose way that makes one’s head turn in intrigue, it really is a force to behold in any form. Knowing full well how to do it and do it surprisingly well, it’s with their forthcoming effort that Devenial Verdict should proudly stand tall as one band that manages to achieve such a challenge with the very whole of this effort as a template on how to do it in exemplary fashion.

Don’t let all of that make you think that what this band brings to the table with this new creation is any sort of pretentious madness that’s portrayed as a thinly veiled attempt at death metal that seeks to be above everything else, only to fail miserably. Rather, the very soul of Devenial Verdict is nothing to sneeze at here as it’s the absolute entirety of “Ash Blind” that we get the most astounding entry in this genre since anything from the likes of Ulcerate or even Convulsing. There isn’t a single shred of these eight tracks that I would dare change for anything in the world as the work simply isn’t some mindless, aimless effort of raw intensity of a band not capable of reigning in their own power for maximum effort, but one that seeks to deny life itself of its own light whilst feeding on the suffering that will plague all of the realm in their thousand-year conquest. This is death metal that is left ringing in your ears as the very gravity of “Ash Blind” is viciously compelling right from the very beginning where it comes in the form of Devenial Verdict’s eviscerating approach to death metal or its haunting moments of deep contrast that pull back to a dimension entirely different than what many of us would expect out of death metal this potent, yet this band executes it all with terrifying tenacity, skill, and unyielding power. It has been a long time since I’ve come across anything the likes of what’s on full display for these eight tracks of undeniable prowess mixed with real ingenuity and intoxication a breed of such that death metal rarely gets to experience with all that’s delivered here simply jaw-dropping.

The very realms of death metal have become sprawling showcases of otherworldly talent, innovation, and passion the likes of which only the other regions of the underground can truly match, and it’s because of bands like Devenial Verdict that we’re still able to see those boundaries pushed on a constant and consistent basis with supreme quality like this a breed that should never be passed up. It’s been far too long since a creation like “Ash Blind” has reached our ears with its mastery and vicious power the sort of wonder that we’re always rabid for, and this effort undeniably delivers at every opportunity.

“Ash Blind” releases on October 28th via Transcending Obscurity Records!

LISTEN to advanced tracks from “Ash Blind” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Devenial Verdict on Facebook here.