TETRAGRAMMACIDE – TYPHO-TANTRIC APHORISMS FROM THE ARACHNEOPHIDIAN QUR’AN LP (Iron Bonehead Productions)
On immense life-negating second full-length, ‘Typho-Tantric Aphorisms From The Arachneophidian Qur’an’, Calcuttan esoterrorists Tetragrammacide have delivered three-quarters-of-an-hour of truly astounding bestial Black / Death barbarity that really has to be heard to be believed. While, at a mere dozen years in (non-)existence, Tetragrammacide are relative newcomers to the celebrated legion of predominantly-more-established blasphemous, annihilating war metal hordes, the now-duo of M. Opium and Entropymurti – ably assisted hereon by octopusean, herculean Italian drum freak Davide Billia – prove on this ridiculously crushing release that they are worthy of mention in any conversation pertaining to the most warmongering divergence of Black/Death Metal.
There is no end of mystique and impenetrably-deep philosophising woven into the fabric of this record, which deals simultaneously with the doctrine of creation through perception and the radical doctrine of non-creation. Thematically, ‘Typho-Tantric Aphorisms From The Arachneophidian Qur’an’ is awash with paradoxes and crude convergences. Although the cost of acquiring physical releases in this thoroughly wretched and corrupt plane continues to become more and more prohibitively expensive seemingly with each passing day, the gatefold LP edition of this one is highly recommended.
The thought process behind the album is explained in great detail in the substantial and glorious booklet accompanying the record (lyrics also included plus wonderful artwork) but most of it is flying straight over my dumb head. Suffice to say, the code of life has been cracked and something very mysterious is being revealed. All is nothingness and naught is everything. We’re just simulations, probably, trapped in a matrix of swirling chaos by technology as the archons feast on the energy we would create were we actually (t)here.
The album begins with the stunning instrumental ‘Trans-Linguistic Utterance of a Sacred Orgasmal Cry Fills the Lemurian Sky (By the Same Mouth, One True God Crieth Hriliu)’ before the first invocation proper ‘Spectral Hyaenas of Amenta Howl, the Vulture of Ma’at Descends, and Tahuti Watches Without His Ape’ ignites a multitude of headaches (not all caused by attempting to decipher the lyrics!). There are further noise pieces at the heart of the record and the end, breaking up the eight punishing tracks proper which will pummel even the most seasoned listener of extreme metal into shivering submission.
Each of the eleven song titles reads like a novella, in true Tetragrammacide tradition, and the band’s penchant for unearthing a bounty of occult words and phrases – as well as inventing their own – certainly adds to the overall appeal and sense of wonder. There’s much, much more going on here ideologically and intellectually than I’ll ever get my mind around but ultimately I’m here for the music and ‘Typho-Tantric Aphorisms From The Arachneophidian Qur’an’ is an unforgettable blast of blistering, spidery-reptilian, veil-decimating, at-times-early-Nile-esque, bestial Black / Death Metal magnificence.
Evilometer: 666/666