Sarastus - The Deceased Dwell in Darkness (2019)^{Release ID: 13207}

Who ate all the blastbeats?  Sarastus did.  It has not made them bloated or chubby either, this be a mean, lean melodic black metal spouting machine right here.  All eighteen minutes and fifty-three seconds of this EP is frantic paced black metal done with a deranged (near perverse) style of vocal delivery that borrows heavily from the Mayhem book of madness.  Dripping with the crude melodicism of fellow Finns, Sargeist, the duo that make up Sarastus are just as vicious as Horna in their disregard for passively espousing their Satanic nihilism.  Choosing instead to use the rich melodies as further means to tear your face off, The Deceased Dwell in Darkness is a breath-taking experience.

Making their presence felt early on, the duo constantly build the quality of the EP track-by-track.  By the time we get to the closing track, Open the Noxious Veins we truly are at the peak of the EP's powers.  That driving riffage keeping the relentless pace at full pelt.  Heads thrown back, blastbeats firing at full tilt and with a suitably low value production this EP is a total success for Sarastus (who I understand have a new vocalist now after the departure of long term vocalist, Revennant).  More than just a quick smash and grab affair, the EP offers real punching power and comes across as being made by a very confident and proud black metal artist.