PEDESTAL FOR LEVIATHAN

The symphonic elements that have powered bands like CRADLE OF FILTH and DIMMU BORGIR for decades have become an increasingly desirable component for many modern-day extremists. But even taking into account all the metal bands that have already embraced their dramatic, cinematic potential, PEDESTAL FOR LEVIATHAN stand out as a rare example of orchestral trimmings being used in truly unfamiliar surroundings. Superficially, the band's combination of symphonic pomp and brutal death metal does not seem like the best fit. The often dissonant, atonal nature of brutal DM would seem to be at odds with the beauty and elegance of finessed orchestration. But founder and, until recently, sole member Kendrick Lemke is clearly smarter than the average metalhead. A debut album with inspiration dripping from every macabre riff, "Enter: Vampyric Manifestation" confirms that even the most unlikely hybrids can make perfect sense when executed by someone with a fucking clue.

As showcased on debut EP "Festering Apparition", PEDESTAL FOR LEVIATHAN go all-in on this startling blend of outright savagery and sophisticated, symphonic embellishments. Lemke's take on the brutal death metal formula is far more predictable and rooted in a more rounded view of the deathly underground's potential. But the real key to these songs lies in the way Lemke uses the overpowering surge of a big (albeit artificial) orchestra to make the brutality appear more three-dimensional and enigmatic. "Chalice Bleeds Intoxicant" is a fearsome entry point. Defiantly gnarly and based in the unforgiving ebb and flow of death metal at its most vicious, it rises to a higher level of atmospheric might via the shrewd placing of sinister, orchestral add-ons that serve to make the whole enterprise sound bigger, heavier and more nuanced than Lemke's tyrannical death metal should normally allow. The result is a surprisingly original take on symphonic metal's maxed-out sensibilities: one that does not compromise on abject heaviness, guttural grotesquery or the genre's traditionally nimble artillery. With numerous more melodic moments woven between the knucklehead riffs and myopic blastbeats, songs like "Lyncanthropist" and "Purgatory Displacement" have a theatrical undertow that feels unprecedented in this context. Lemke clearly has great confidence in his ideas, because the symphonic elements are placed high in the mix and feel as important to PEDESTAL FOR LEVIATHAN's overall sound as more prosaic, metal-centric ingredients. "Enter: Vampyric Manifestation" conjures a world of drama, horror and big-budget complexity, with textural echoes of everything from KING DIAMOND to SEPTICFLESH, but with murderous extremity at its charred and smoking heart.

If there is a criticism to be levelled, it is that "Enter: Vampyric Manifestation" is frustratingly brief. Three excellent bonus tracks bring the album's duration up to a respectable 34 minutes, but there is a strong sense that Lemke is only getting started. When PEDESTAL FOR LEVIATHAN commit to something more long form, the real potential of this imaginative and brave new strain of dark magick will hopefully be revealed. Until then, this represents an exciting and groundbreaking turn of events that will drain the willing of their blood and turn mundane dreams into surreal, brain-mangling nightmares. Violins and bloodshed, if you will.