When a band finds itself on a magnificent streak, it’s always a sight to behold. When it was revealed that Herxheim rose from the ashes of its renowned former act, many of us knew the quality and the breed of death metal that we were in for but the sheer quality and power that has become all but synonymous with the name of Herxheim is something that I don’t think any of us quite anticipated. Not including its 2019 demo, Herxheim primes itself now for its third demonic offering of death metal that’s in a category all its own with this EP effortlessly enabling Herxheim’s track record to improve to a solid three for three.

It was from day one that many of us were well-aware that Herxheim was going to be a beast that was not to be underestimated. Each of its previous albums of “Incised Arrival” and “Woe Unto Thee” that each respective year got some of its most devastating material out of the underground with this trademark demented approach to death metal never once afraid to explore new territories especially if it takes the listener down a vortex of blood and bone the likes of which they’ve never seen before. With more drawn-out compositions, it can be argued that Herxheim has tapped into something similar but distinctly different with all that’s offered within the four tracks of “Contrapasso”. Laden with tremendous riffs whose hooks immediately sink within your flesh to terrible effect, the jarring nature and absolute menace of Herxheim is on full display yet again with the longer songs offering much more of that ritualistic feel that Herxheim has always had in the background. Here, however, we see those qualities brought to the forefront. Injected with distorted sermons, raving, and monologues, “Contrapasso” quickly turns into a creation quite unlike many others that have come before it even considering what the mastermind behind it has accomplished in his run. Unassuming and not as expansive as previous iterations at first glance, this EP is a lurching monolith whose movements should strike fear into those who find themselves before this hypnotic yet exceedingly sadistic effort.

Really, this is only to be expected from the likes of Herxheim even if this EP is a bewildering beast in virtually every right. Cloaked in a thick veil of darkness with a hunger that cannot be sated even should it devour the entirety of existence, the power and terror of Herxheim have only been growing greater as time passes. For all that it brings to the table, one thing needs to be made extremely clear before diving into the abyssal hell that is “Contrapasso”: you will not emerge the same.

“Contrapasso” releases on April 5th via I, Voidhanger Records!

LISTEN to an advanced track from “Contrapasso” on Bandcamp here.

Herxheim does not have any sort of social media account that I can find, so follow Herxheim on its Bandcamp page here to stay up-to-date on Herxheim’s activities.