When Venomous Echoes first made a splash unto the scene with 2023's Writhing Tomb Amongst The Stars, my initial reaction was to place them under the same umbrella as the similarly gnarly and dissonant black metal of Blut Aus Nord. And indeed, that seems to be a huge influence on the sound, but that neglects both the death metal element in the sound, as well as the very strong conceptual and emotional core at the basis of Venomous Echoes. Our interview with the band's mastermind, Benjamin Vanweelden, did reveal both the pandemic lockdown context of the one-man band origin of the project, as well as the body dysmorphia and depression angle that served as emotions that needed to be exorcized through the cosmic horror metaphors.
The death metal element that was present on the project's self-titled debut, was further developed on the follow-up, 2024's Split Formations And Infinite Mania, and at that point I was curious if the project would pursue a more death metal direction or return towards the psychedelic black metal leanings of its debut. Now that a "one album every year" pattern has sort of emerged, Dysmor answers the question by diving headfirst into sounds even more Portal-esque. Swirling riffs and a harsh yet nonetheless varied vocal performance have always been the project's modus operandi, but Dysmor attempts to channel them into a slightly different beast.
For one, it feels even more nauseating than before. Perhaps that's because the programmed drums do sound better than how distracting they sounded on Split Formations And Infinite Mania, but the riffs themselves use their dissonance in a way that feels as unhinged as the shrieks and screams do, as if the guitars and the vocals are trying to pass each other's vibe checks, and the vibe is torturous. On the other hand, the more atmospheric focused side of the album benefits from an expanded sound palette, with dark jazz saxophones opening the album, and pianos creating a moment of uncanny respite on "Broken" or an almost ethereal orchestral feeling at the end of the closer.
What continues to work for Venomous Echoes is how the vocals and the rest of the music feel authentic for the emotional impact that they're aiming for. It doesn't feel like negative emotion for the sake of negative emotion, nor does it feel therapeutic in a voyeuristic sense. It feels like negative emotion that stems from a place of genuine distress, but one that is masterfully channeled into art for the sake of the art, in a way that doesn't require the artist to keep suffering that distress in order to keep making great music.
