For all that can be done within the vast reaches of the underground, there’s simply nothing that can replace doing things right even if it means retreading the same ground that countless others have done so before you. It’s an extremely slippery slope that several have fallen victim to with plenty of pitfalls along the way, but it can be a surprisingly simple path for those that know what they’re doing in one form or another. Within but five tracks that make for a truly menacing debut, Repugnator shows us how it can still be done.

Creations like this can sometimes feel a dime a dozen given how many of them absolutely litter the underground, but there are always proverbial diamonds in the rough that are waiting for purveyors to come across and come to the realization that there is still loads of quality acts to be found out in the seemingly impermeable darkness. In cases like what we see within the debut from the rising Portuguese scene, Repugnator embodies some of the finest aspects that continuously enables the writhing realm of black-death metal to be a home of insanity like none other in the whole of the underground with “Foul Transfixation” a work many wish that they could throw down. The devil is in the details with all that’s summoned in these five pieces of true horror so much so that one listen is not merely enough when it comes to uncovering all that they have to offer nor is that the extent of the macabre fascination that’s to be found within. Constantly sinking its hooks deeper into your flesh and spirit such that you have no hope of escaping, “Foul Transfixation” shows us what it means to be intimate with your craft, have the vision to bring it forth in such a form that nigh on compelling, and fiendish in way that you dare not rip yourself away from lest you miss another layer of its haunting machinations. More than a mere collection of riffs and screaming in the void, Repugnator lays of a foundation of terror here that the underground is always waiting for.

The underground is always flooded with latent potential. The challenge comes in trying to be patient with it all as it can sometimes feel like it takes a while before a well-worn sound like black-death metal gets a new entry that does more than simply raise an eyebrow in intrigue. For all that was summoned to bring the madness of “Foul Transfixation” to life, Repugnator has done more than enough to earn the anticipation and interest of many who wander in the dark looking for something to really sink their teeth into.

“Foul Transfixation” releases on January 31st via Godz ov War Productions!

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

FOLLOW Repugnator on Instagram here.