Band:	Cosmic Putrefaction
Album:	Emerald Fires Atop The Farewell Mountains
Style:	Death metal
Release date:	October 04, 2024
A review by:	AndyMetalFreak

01. (Entering The Vortex Temporum) Pre-Mortem Phosphenes
02. I Should Greet The Inexorable Darkness
03. Eudaemonist Withdrawl
04. Hallways Engraved In Aether
05. Swirling Madness, Supernal Ordeal
06. (Exiting The Vortex Temporum) – The Clearing Path
07. Emerald Fires Atop The Farewell Mountains


The Cosmic Putrefaction meets the most brutal stage in its voyage yet.

As the mastermind behind Summit and The Clearing Path, Gabriele Gramaglia (G.G.) is clearly no novice when it comes to establishing successful one-man projects, and he has further demonstrated his musical talents as the frontman of Vertebra Atlantis; however, perhaps G.G.'s most successful project is death metal band Cosmic Putrefaction, which he established back in 2018. Cosmic Putrefaction returns to the scene after 2 years with the fourth full-length offering, Emerald Fires Atop The Farewell Mountains; this time, he travels even deeper into the cosmos with a concept that's a direct continuation of Crepuscular Dirge For The Blessed Ones.

The theme is based on a character who must use all of his last strengths to face the struggles and challenges of death and eternal solitude on his final path following the fall of the empyrean inhabitants. This voyage takes him further into the depths of the cosmos, where he is faced not only with its unimaginable inhospitality, but also torments deep within his own wretched mind. Musically, the album lives up to this concept, being a demanding but equally intriguing and rewarding listen, as G.G. and prolific drummer Giulio Galati (Hideous Divinity/Nero Di Marte) bring the character's voyage vividly to life through some compelling atmospheric death metal, while introducing a wider scope of influences and elements from progressive, symphonic, and black metal.

Opening song "(Entering The Vortex Temporum) Pre-Mortem Phosphenes" has a title fitting of the decaying cosmic setting centred around the album's theme, which also lives up to its stunning cover art. The whole structure of this song feels as if you're being vacuumed uncontrollably into a relentless swirling vortex with a dense gravitational centre pulling you in ever deeper; the instrumentation is technically daunting but impressive, and there's an out-of-this-world atmosphere unparalleled to anything heard before. The rhythm section is like a labyrinth of complexity; the drumming is manic, varying from furious blast beats to rhythm of ultra-rapid complexity, the guitar work constantly interweaves between lightning shredding leads with spontaneous outbursts of melody and hammering OSDM/technical death riffs, and the vocals are menacingly harsh, alien-like gutturals that sound like some kind of deranged Lovecraftian intergalactic being.

As the songwriting continues to baffle listeners with its labyrinth of complex and progressive multi-layered song stuctures, a variety of elements are introduced. The symphonic elements are one of the most noteworthy features, on "Hallways Engraved in Aether" most of all, as here they give the song a chilling Emperor feel. "Swirling Madness, Supernal Ordeal" is perhaps the most bizarrely structured track of all, especially when the classic symphonic elements of the cello and piano, as well as various other synths, are introduced. The progressive factor is evident throughout, as the tempo shifts regularly from soft atmospheric passages, to extreme technicality, but the softest moments are saved right for the end, as the closing title track finishes the album off in a more melodic manner; echoing clean singing, classic melodic leads, and epic sci-fi synths lead the way for the majority of the song.

Emerald Fires Atop The Farewell Mountains is Cosmic Putrefaction's most ambitious effort to date, despite it not being the easiest listen. The progressively brutal and technical music and cosmic soundscapes fit the whole concept remarkably, but if this is the case, then this could also signify the end voyage for this cosmic-themed concept; after all, when the cosmos falls into decay, what is then left? One can only wonder which dimension Gabriele Gramaglia will take listeners next with Cosmic Putrefaction.