COMMUNION "The Communion" CD

One of the most cult bands in the shit-hot South American black/death scene, for nearly a decade now, COMMUNION have been cultivating a mystique and work ethic like no other. Staunchly DIY and largely rejecting the gross machinations of the European "metal" industry, COMMUNION have built up a sparse yet strangely vast body of work comprising myriad short-length releases - sometimes, true "singles" in that the release will feature only one track - that are either self-released or released through vocalist/bassist Deathmessiah's Proselytism label, which has become ground zero for the very best in nowadays South American black/death. Despite their often-short runtimes, each COMMUNION release is its own special world, ranging the rich history of South American metal, from its blackest, most sulfurous depths to its most traditional, headbanging heights. That one band can encompass a relatively expansive swath of sounds whilst remaining uniquely rigid and focused in their attack has endeared the band to legions the world over, all of whom await each COMMUNION release with bated breath and cherish it as a true artifact.

Whereas At the Announcement serves as the definitive debut album - that is, the culmination of all that's come before in the COMMUNION canon - then The Communion is the fever-dreaming intensification of those wild hinterlands within the band's signature sound. Totaling nine tracks in a concise yet continually exciting 33 minutes, The Communion works mostly as one massive piece, firing off one diabolic angle after another that's simply engrossing (and often overwhelming, favorably) in its devilish intensity. With the poise and patience of a true power-trio, COMMUNION build each component track with the delicate-yet-confident hand of sonic sorcerers, conjuring a clandestine mood that soon explodes into gibbering, ghastly mania. And yet, for however white-hot and forever-throttling that intensity gets, just teasing the very corners of chaos, COMMUNION reign it all in with a mastery rarely seen in black/death metal - and, daresay, a touch of class. For above all, this is HEAVY METAL, deathly dedicated to the occult and supernatural energies of the beyond. Not for nothing are the band absolutely hypnotic live, weaving their spells and entrancing throngs of diehards baying for blood on every stage COMMUNION stand.