Ontological Mysterium
The bass frequently steals the spotlight on Ontological Mysterium. While the guitars jump from riff to riff, the bass holds onto a melody or pushes the next section forward. That is how Horrendous make this work: everyone plays well, but the musicians rarely get in each other's way. It sounds agile and loose, without the death metal losing its power.
The Blaze opens surprisingly melodically and builds steadily toward heavier guitar work. Then, Chrysopoeia (The Archaeology of Dawn) demonstrates just how many ideas this band can pack into a single song. Solos, bass lines, and clean vocal parts slide between the heavier sections, while the rhythm section holds everything together. The song demands attention, but the melodies provide enough of a foothold to make it more than just an impressive technical feat.
The album does not charge ahead at the same speed throughout. In Preterition Hymn, the tempo drops and the music gains more weight. The build-up to the climax works precisely because Horrendous takes their time. At the end, The Death Knell Ringeth opts for more direct grooves, a convincing conclusion after all the detours.
The vocals also explore different directions. The raw voices keep things fierce, but there is room for clean singing and stranger effects. Especially on Exeg(en)esis, this approach can be a bit distracting: the psychedelic sound and processed vocals draw more attention than seems necessary.
That remains a minor caveat for a lively album. Ontological Mysterium makes death metal adventurous without turning it into an exhausting slog. The compact runtime helps, but it is primarily the combination of strong riffs, audible bass, and well-balanced melody that makes it worthwhile.
