When it comes to death metal, we’ve seen some excellent releases this year. The scene’s big names, such as Immolation and Vomitory, have dropped solid albums, which I’ve also reviewed. Other bands are emerging from the cosmic void, and among them is Into Darkness, who have released their very first studio album, Route to the Outer Side, via the label Dying Victims Productions. It took 15 years for the band to release their debut album, having formed back in 2011.
Route to the Outer Side falls within the realm of complex and violent death metal, a fact that becomes apparent from the very first second of the opening track. Through this style, Into Darkness presents a conceptual, science-fiction-inspired form of death metal. The band also incorporates more moderate, melodic and even doom-influenced sections to add nuance to their soundscape. The transitions are fairly frequent and progressive. The mix brings the vocals to the fore, and the bass (although not quite imposing enough) is highlighted in several passages to add density and depth to the sound, something I particularly felt on the track Uranus. And the clean production results in a well-crafted album.
The guitars race along to a heavy rhythm, but they don’t stay in that pattern. The Italian band delivers several melodic passages through well-placed solos, the most striking of which are on Halley and Pluto. The drums pound out heavy, rapid beats. At several moments, the drums provide a rhythmic cadence that makes the listener start headbanging. It’s on the track Halley, from 3:41 onwards, that this aspect is most audible.
The vocals are ferocious, with growls reminiscent of the early thrash/death and proto-death metal scene, I’d refer to the band Pestilence in their early days as an example. The vocal performance is phenomenal, particularly on tracks such as Saturn. There are also powerful, muffled backing vocals, as well as narration reminiscent of the atmosphere in science-fiction movies. Shrill, impactful screams are also part of the mix, as on Halley from 5:53 onwards. I think the vocals play a prominent role on this album.
Among the moments and tracks I enjoyed was the vocal performance on Saturn, combined with the atmospheric instrumentation, the feeling is intense. I appreciated the track Neptune for its structure, for the way it builds as the seconds pass, and its dramatic blend of muted backing vocals and narration. My favourite track is Halley, I think it’s the most complex and intense track on the album. Through this track, the band demonstrates the maturity of their songwriting. And they will demonstrate this once again on the track Pluto
I find that Route to the Outer Side is a surprising well-crafted album: complex, atmospheric death metal (without keyboards), with an old-school feel and a science-fiction concept. However, the band avoids the technical approach adopted by other bands playing this kind of conceptual death metal. An album I highly recommend to fans of death metal.
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