Rites of thy Degringolade – The Blade Philosophical review

Spawned in 1997 Rites of thy Degringolade was originally the solo project of Paulus Kressman who has at one time or another played every instrument in the band. The band has evolved, mutated and re-animated itself in to what we see today a more polished and advanced form of being than what was originally an experimental one piece band. The Blade Philosophical still holds those experimental roots of the early Degringolade but has some really blazing and intense musicianship that buries you in your chair so as not to ignite in to some flaming Balrog from the depths of Moria.

The Blade Philosophical holds so much power, as you listen to it you get the feeling that this was not meant for mortal ears, this feels like music for a higher being. It's absolutely crushing but at the same time it's majestic and also has a sense of foreboding that comes along with the crushing majesty, like Rites of thy Degringolade are predicting an astral tragedy that will affect the universe as we know it. The more I listen to this album the more I feel like this to be the absolute truth... so stay tuned for annihilation!

The way the compositions are put together on The Blade Philosophical are quite intricate and eclectic but never does the music feel cramped or like they are trying to be experimental for the sake of it. The drums are so epic, in every way. The speed of the music changes quite frequently but the drums never lose their place, they're played to perfection. The guitars have quite a task putting together these eclectic and masterful pieces of music, but they manage to put down some incredible work on these tracks, from sparse moments of reflection to complete brutal speed picking, to blazing solos, it's amazing work. The vocals are harsh, unrelenting and in moments they hold the tone for the track, on the opening track for instance the music seems to be following the vocals, not the other way around. There's also a really open reverb to the vocals that makes it sound like they are being sung from another plane.

The tracks contained within this album are so inventive and really incredible to hear. The opening track 'Above the Highest' opens the album perfectly, it gives you some insight to the way the album is headed without giving away the ending, with a deep horn playing in the background throughout a portion of the track which really gives you a pretty intense feeling of anxiety, this is the perfect opening to the album, it chugs along but it chugs at such a pace that it feels like something that will never end, unrelenting and punishing. The album seems to graduate from here and gets darker, faster and heavier like something is being unleashed, like a darkness is shrouding the earth. It's the second track which is the title track for the album 'The Blade Philosophical' where the darkness begins to spread, darker than the track before but not dissimilar in the chugging mentality, maybe with a little more of the eclectic guitar work. Track 3 'The Universe in Three Parts' is where this album really gains it's wings, it's so dark and sparse that it honestly feels like the end of all things. Interspersed with these sparse moments are moments of complete and utter brutality, replete with a masterful solo, track 3 is my favourite on the album. 'Totalities Kompletion' is track 4 and it's easily the heaviest on the album, just an absolute feast of brutal noise. Track 5 'I am The Way, The Truth and The Knife' is another brutal monstrosity but it has some very interesting fills and parts between the noise that sets it aside. It's eclectic, interesting and has some really crazy parts that you just want to windmill to. The final track on the album 'The Final Laceration' is an eclectic, masterful, feast for the ears, the guitars sound like a plague approaching, there is this really epic vocal moment that sounds like they are calling down the frogs and blood. Honestly every song on this album have some truly incredible moments, they all sound different but carry the same mentality, and that is absolute destruction.

All in all I really enjoyed The Blade Philosophical, the album is so interesting to listen to it never sounds boring or stale. There's so much happening but it never sounds cluttered, it's just very interesting timing and playing. This is the first time I've crossed paths with Rites of thy Degringolade but I'm very glad that I have and now I'm going to go through their back catalog and witness the devastation first hand.

Pros:

• Eclectic and interesting
• Brutal as all hell
• A devastating mix of experimentation and tradition

Cons:

• Some people might find it hard to listen to
• sometimes the drums take over

Track List:

1. Above the Highest
2. The Blade Philosophical
3. The Universe in Three Parts
4. Totalities Kompletion
5. I Am The Way, The Truth and The Knife
6. The Final Laceration

Total Running Time: 41:06

Line-up:
Paulus Kressman – Drums, Vocals
J Wroth – Guitars
N.K.L.H. - Guitars
C.W. - Bass

Genre: Extreme Metal
Release Date: 15th March, 2018
Label: Nuclear War Now! Productions
Links:
https://nuclearwarnowproductions.bandcamp.com/album/the-blade-philosophical
https://www.facebook.com/Rites-of-Thy-Degringolade-283238285133389/