While there are throngs upon throngs of acts throughout the dense underground, it goes without saying that there are those that thrive in obscurity more than others. Where there doesn’t seem much stopping artists from pursuing their craft to the fullest extent without judgement or really anything in their way, the seething floor of the underground itself is a place that uncompromising artists can be themselves wholly. When they first came around, Amphisbaena made waves with their particularly deadly brand of black-death metal, yet it’s since then that the band has undergone a metamorphosis that’s as striking as it is compelling.

It’s not terribly often that we get to witness a band take a leap as dramatic as what we get to witness here throughout “Rift”. Such a transition tends to be gradual over time or something that has been built up to over the course of at least a few releases, yet that never once stopped Amphisbaena from really going for the throat and accomplishing as sound that is devilishly alluring and undeniably entrancing for all that it dares to be. Evolving to become far more than a black-death act without fully shedding those tendencies, Amphisbaena has become something far more. With an approach that’s as mysterious as it is dark in nature, there isn’t so much as a single moment throughout “Rift” that isn’t simply magnificent to gaze upon and be drawn into with the infinite secrets of the universe to be found within the folds of this deeply layered creation offering us such sweet sights. Amphisbaena shows immense competency at black and death metal, of course, but it’s through the channeling of ambient, doom, and a little bit of prog that “Rift” takes on an entirely different life to make the work a real sight to behold. Intoxicating and outright spellbinding, Amphisbaena pulled no punches in the crafting of this beast. An exceedingly jagged creation that’s all too fiery to the touch but all the more captivating for its volatile nature and seductive passages, “Rift” is a grand return for Amphisbaena in such a form that’s downright bewildering to become lost within.

Where darkness thrives in its own madness and ethereal entities writhe in competition for the very light of your soul, Amphisbaena stands out even in such pitch-black insanity. We’re lucky to live in a time where the underground is downright littered with such tremendous acts that hold nothing back and evolve in their own demented ways, yet it’s even taking all of that into consideration that Amphisbaena stands out with everything it delivered with “Rift”. Madness embodied for all of its seduction and malice, this is a record that keeps on giving with every subsequent listen offering a new truth that is all too tempting to deny.

“Rift” releases on August 1st via I, Voidhanger Records!

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

LIKE Amphisbaena on Facebook here.

FOLLOW Amphisbaena on Instagram here.