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Shub Niggurath: A deadly call from the stars
20/12/11 || gk
Shub Niggurath released an often over looked album in 1997 called “The Kinglike Celebration (Final Aeon on Earth)” which is a superior slice of atmospheric death metal. Main man Julio Viterbo had previously spent time in Mexico’s Cenotaph and would go on to join The Chasm, thus ensuring that Shub Niggurath would be relegated to the background. Now, some 14 years later and with only a couple of hard to find splits in the interim, the band is back with Viterbo and drummer Paco joined by vocalist Carlos Lopez.
The album opens with “March of Mephistopheles/The Evil Always Prevails” and its a bit like The Chasm with a black metal atmosphere and a great lead guitar section. “Son of Primordial Chaos” is urgent and catchy with a great death metal riff, a well placed breakdown and a soaring lead guitar that works really well. “The Summon of Shub Niggurath Ye Black” is the album epic and is a great song stretching well past the 8 minute mark but never outstaying its welcome. It reminds me again of The Chasm particularly with the opening riff and a guitar line that snakes through before the vocals kick in. “Testimony of Seals” interplays a standard death metal part with an ominous guitar line before changing things up with a melodic bit. Album closer “The Invocation Gate” is atmospheric mid paced death metal with melody and is another great song.
Shub Niggurath has undergone a slight change in sound from being a decidedly old school death metal band to including a slight black metal feel to the music. There’s also a strong influence of Viterbo’s work in both Cenotaph and The Chasm along with some early Morbid Angel. The songs are atmospheric, often involve some memorable soloing from Viterbo and have plenty of kickass riffs. At the same time, there’s always a distinct melody in each of the songs on this album. Sometimes its integrated into the riffing and other times, it comes thanks to Viterbo’s soloing. This adds atmosphere to the proceedings, making thing more memorable and giving the songs what I can only call that Mexican touch that Cenotaph used to do and The Chasm still do. Vocalist Carlos Lopez reminds me a bit of Immortal’s Abbath and it’s a competent but mostly unremarkable performance. The star of the show is Julio Viterbo who handles guitars, bass and keyboards and he’s backed up by Paco who is solid behind the drum kit.
“A Deadly Call from the Stars” is a fine death metal album. It gets better with every listen as the subtleties of the music emerge and the riffs get stuck in your head. It’s old school in sound and production values, atmospheric and has some great songs. Overall, this is a pretty great comeback and worth checking out for fans of death metal.
- Information
- Released: 2011
- Label: Lux Inframundis Productions
- Website: Shub Niggurath MySpace
- Band
- Carlos Lopez: vocals
- Julio Viterbo: guitars, bass, keyboards
- Paco: drums
- Tracklist
- 01. March of Mephistopheles/The Evil Always Prevails
- 02. Son of Primordial Chaos
- 03. Triumphal Domain
- 04. The Summon of Shub Niggurath Ye Black
- 05. Ode to the Ancient Ones
- 06. My Wonder Vision
- 07. Testimony of Seals
- 08. The Invocation Gate
