vote
7.0
- Band:
Shrine of Denial - Duration: 00:33:00
- Available since: 07/03/2025
- Label:
-
Transcending Obscure
Streaming not yet available
Deforthy with a full-length without going through the typical demo-based or EP pierce is a move that requires some courage, especially in a saturated and competitive panorama such as that of today's extreme metal. The Shrine of Denial, coming from Türkiye, have chosen this path with their debut album “I, Moloch”, and the result is a work that demonstrates a clear intention: presenting itself with identity and ambition.
Since the cover, which evokes a dense and mysterious iconography, the disc seems to want to affirm a solemn imprint, a stretch often present in the bands of the Mediterranean area. And it is precisely this solemnity, combined with a solid balance between aggression and melody, to make “I, Moloch” an interesting debut, which, stylistically, is in that gray and fascinating area between Death and Black Metal, where brutality and atmosphere merge by providing several outlets for many types of evolution.
The group's sound primarily recalls the influences of bands such as Dead Congregation and Burial Invocation, with a dense and overwhelming Death Metal which, however, is sometimes capable of leaving room for thin atmospheric passages. To this are added flashes in the name of a more push tension and a more marked technicality that do not prove to be too far from the Hour of penance, the more epic ones of the last part of the career, offering a varied but coherent mix. It is therefore a music focused mainly on the concatenation of various riffs by piece, a proposal that never seems to stop, not very inclined to long lens drifts or moments of pure doom: here above all dominates the energy, almost euphoric, of an aggressive and dynamic approach.
The Opener, “Climbing Through Nothingnss”, is an interesting business card: Riff Serrati, a veil of dissonance and a structure that continually alternates tension and release, passing through intermediate sections with an immediate groove, immediately showing the band's ability to create pieces rich in details. Halfway through the tracklist, “The Mesmer” adds a more sharp and at the same time melodic touch, with guitar lines that stand out above a fiercely precise rhythmic base, while “Temple of the Corps Misuser”, in the final, is perhaps the most representative song, with a songwriting that balances power and atmosphere, also adding further dissonance.
Overall, analyzing the tracklist in a more in -depth way, perhaps a real hit seems to be missing, an episode that at a qualitative level clearly provides others. This, however, is not necessarily a defect, but rather an indication of a band that is still being matured, which for now aims at consistency and together solidity instead of individual memorable moments.
Finally, production is another point in favor of “I, Moloch”: clean, but not excessively smooth, keeps the intensity of the sound intact without sacrificing the darkest and arcane side. The mix balances all the tools well, allowing intricate riffs and the most atmospheric parts to stand out without prevaricating.
Ultimately, the Turkish boys have made a convincing debut: we are not in front of an album that redefines the genre, but certainly we can talk about a solid base from which to start and grow. A band that, with the right development, could earn a relevant place in the underground scene.
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
