Review: Bryan Allatt
Project Ultimate Satan is an Australian symphonic death metal band that has just unleashed their latest musical offering, The Opus Satanas, which features six tracks of musical malevolence. The album intertwines elements of black, death, and symphonic metal, showcasing the contrasting dynamics between female and male vocals.
The hypnotic trances of female clean singing in canon, alongside the guttural, aggressive male counterpart, flow seamlessly together to create a unique texture of light and shade, colouring the soundscapes of this monolithic endeavour .
Symphony Es Infernus opens the album with blackened melodies that drag you into chaos, followed by a brief break with melancholic piano before leading into Humanity’s Last Breath, which blasts forward with relentless hellfire and intricate fretwork. Next up is Is This How Freedom Ends? Their well-placed use of samples helps paint a deeper picture of the emotions each song evokes. The Infallible Void delivers yet another piece of grim mastery through atmosphere and brutality.
Footprints In The Sands Of Time introduces a melodic Middle Eastern feel before transitioning into another pummeling of tight musicianship. Last, but certainly not least, is the crawling abyss of a track entitled Nocturne Immortalis, which offers hooks that pull you back in, ending the album with triumph and power.
Project Ultimate Satan showcases a diverse range of talent. The band is comprised of members from bands such as Inhuman Remnants, Black Mountain, Terravorous, Unholy Vendetta, and Somnium Nox. Every song is carefully thought out and executed with style and elegance, done in tasteful measures.
As a symphonic band at their core, their orchestral work is astounding, at times feeling ethereal and esoteric, pulling the listener deeper into their world. Yet, it can quickly slip into darker territory, conjuring blast beats over maniacal guitar riffs and crushing bass lines, bordering on the pits of blackened death.
Every musician involved in this album has poured themselves into the recordings wholeheartedly. Each is adept in their craft, adding complex and unique layers that intricately weave throughout this musical journey.
It’s refreshing to hear a band like Project Ultimate Satan, unafraid to explore new musical territories while walking the left-hand path and letting their flame burn black.
The Opus Satanas is available now.
https://linktr.ee/projectultimatesatan
Project: Ultimate Satan look set to perform live at
ANTI-CHRISTMAS AND A BLOODY NEW YEAR
Saturday, December 28: Velvet Underground, Sydney
Tickets via Moshtix HERE
