vi Ry_ov_vo

“Ov Tentacles and Spirals” is the second full length album from the Italian blackened death metal powerhouse, Azrath-11. Boasting current Naer Mataron drummer and busybody, Asmodeus Draco Dux, who has been associated with countless other metal acts, as well as current and former members of some relatively underground bands, Azrath-11 has the talented membership needed to succeed in this age’s blackened death metal field. With acts like Behemoth currently dominating the market with their somewhat modernized brand, Azrath-11 creeps in and shows the old stalwarts that a little old school flair never hurts.Nothing on “Ov Tentacles and Spirals” is new or groundbreaking by any stretch of the imagination: not the music; not the instrumentation; not the production. The entire production screams old school, especially the chunky yet endearingly hollow sound of the drums. While it does have an old school feel to it, the music itself has some modern edges, including the Behemoth inspired riffing and the plastic feel of the triggered drums. Finishing off with a cover of Morbid Angel’s “God ov Emptiness” is just a little icing on the cake. Azrath-11’s sophomore effort is a high quality effort that should please fans of polished blackened death metal while retaining an old school feel. If that sounds like your cup of tea, then by all means find it.