Author: Rok Klemše
Artist: Once Was Never
Label: Self-released
Release: year_month
Runtime: 25:00
Rating: 4/5
Sežana outfit Once Was Never shove you into a pit of darkness on their debut EP Lighthouse In the Abyss, where the only straw of hope and shelter from unknown horrors is the flickering light of a lighthouse. But it’s exactly twenty-five minutes away, down a path through three rings of the seventh circle of hell, where damned murderers, suicides and sodomites loom out of the dark, and a short intro, Abortion 21122012, courtesy of Dame Tomoski (Noctiferia), sees you off on the stroll through the gloom.
But right after it comes an unexpected vertical drop into a whirlpool of modern-sounding death metal, whose main hallmark is its surprising variety and dynamics. Once Was Never can write breakneck-fast tracks, sure, but they also know how to hit the brakes and abruptly slow things down here and there. That’s when they properly pound away with massive groove elements, in places even almost breakdown moves (Exaltation), which luckily don’t sound cheap or forced, but add to the mighty and chaotic (sometimes almost too much so) sonic picture.
The surprisingly fluid and dynamic flow of the songs, especially for a debut, comes down to their carefully thought-out structure, because this six-pack is varied and devilishly colorful. The tracks can roar like a sea whipped up by a hurricane, settle into water calm as a mirror and right after swell into a menacing killer wave. Strong riffs are pushed to the front the whole time and are bursting with the inventiveness of the guitar duo, who also trade off on beautifully placed solos, led by the epically building one in Maximus Parasite and the twisty, branching solo in Razoring Woods. Nicely worked-out harmonies add a melodic touch (Maximus Parasite, Deluded Values), while the groove parts, where the rhythm section chips in too, bring the demolition power. The real winner on Lighthouse In the Abyss is Miloš’s vocals, extremely varied and colorful, capable of brutal growling, half-clean singing (the Maximus Parasite chorus) and piercing screams, while the vocal assaults with Miloš and Miha teaming up sound downright thunderous. Just an extra plus are the unobtrusive horror tributes: Deluded Values greets Otis Driftwood, while Razoring Woods is entirely dedicated to the legendary tree love scene in Raimi’s schlockfest The Evil Dead.
Lighthouse In the Abyss is a great-sounding EP that, despite its modern take on death metal, isn’t overly polished, but sounds organic and natural, which only adds to the material’s conviction. Let me borrow Ash’s iconic quote to close, which describes Lighthouse In the Abyss best: »Groovy«!«
Lineup
Gregor Ambrožič – drums
Luka Kralj – bass
Miha Kosmač – guitar, vocals
Luka Osojnik – guitar
Miloš Mihajlović – vocals
Production
Once Was Never
Tracklist
1. Abortion 21122012
2. The Cut
3. Maximus Parasite
4. Kings And Pawns
5. Exaltation
6. Deluded Values
7. Razoring Woods
