Chilean death/doom/black metal outfit Verbum proves that they’re a true master of their obscure craft. “Exhortation to the Impure” which is the band’s first full-length album descends into the realm of obscurity as they bind the effect of the palpable cavernous atmosphere with punishing growls. Although there isn’t much information regarding the members Verbum had risen suddenly in 2016 by the debut output “Processio Flagellates”. Considering the six years gap between the EP the newest album contains a colossal four tracks, an intro, two short interludes, and an outro. Taking a hybrid approach to death/doom metal. “Exhortation to the Impure” emanates a cavernous aura there are various elements of black metal in the songs however Verbum‘s unhinged transitions are perhaps the most ambiguous component of this album. Reeking of pure malice and agony the precision and the songwriting offer dark menacing riffs. 

The album begins with a short intro where the drums build up a slow doom tempo with the guitars putting on a dense atmosphere. “Abrahamic Sedition” sweeps over a vast landscape of eerie doom elements that manifest, with the ominous growls that flow among the trudging drums. Verbum is the kind of band whose music brews slowly, in this context the guitars create otherworldly soundscapes of horror. While far from the type of melodic death/doom the music here is beyond belief and incredibly dense, the composition yields an eerie experience. In all forms of crushing doom metal, the pacing evolves into plenty of faster moments, where the pulverizing drum beats then add up to the brutality.

Though the guitars aren’t too complex, they churn out heavy death metal riffs to generate a miasmic kind of theme. “Nihil Privativum” borders on a slow suffocating tempo with superb drum fills adding reverb to this gigantic track. Oftentimes the song begins brutally slowly, the guitars and the vocals offer complex structures and from then on the guitars offer a dense platter of death/doom riffs. ”Exhortation to the Impure” is a mind-bending trip of an album that crawls slowly taking you into a creepy voyage to the depths of the abyss. Throughout the running time of thirty-five minutes, the guitars rely on potent riffs that swell with creepy undertones of the vocals. 

The clear similarities to bands like Disembowelment, Inverloch, and Spectral Voice are undeniable, but Verbum has established its own identity. The cold moldy atmosphere almost touches the dark and frightening quality. “Silent Oratorium” unfolds with the creepy effect of the growls. Despite the ghastliness of the music Verbum on the first full-length album ensures a memorable experience, other elements that keep the music flowing are the bass guitar chords and the plodding drums that meld with the vocals. The guitars and the drums build spacious walls of instrumentation with the heavy reverb of the riffs where each song provides a certain mood. The key of the music is how Verbum applies the atmospheric canvas, every fragment of the musical pacing is formed by the slow drum patterns that become the main structure of the songs.

The rhythmic compounds of the guitars paint horrible visions. The band sometimes captures the traditional style of funeral doom. However, the slower moments would remind many of the band Krypts and Disembowelment, although Verbum could have made greater use of blast beats. I feel this might be the only lacking aspect of the album. “Interlude I” and “Interlude II” are both transients and merely consist of eerie soundscapes, the album title track “Exhortation to the Impure” is brimming full of brooding atmosphere. The drums on this track transition from mid-tempo pace to straightforward and blasting moments, the concentration becomes heavily crushing. Vocals spewing out from the dense layers of heavy doom metal riffs, bellowing grunts rumble hard to the slow gloomy guitar chords.

“Exhortation to the Impure” funnels through the cavernous fumes, during the closing minutes of this colossal track, the rhythm guitar adds a bleaker tone of pitch dark. The heavy distortion provides an immense tone, where most of the riffing structure does not utilize tremolo-picked riffs. In its highest order, Verbum’s full-length album is a massive amalgam of death/doom metal that sounds oppressively slow, brutal, and haunting. These Chileans will definitely make your blood chill as they bring the hideous side of doom metal with a sophisticated level of musical execution! This comes with the highest recommendation for fans of Disembowelment, Krypts, and Inverloch. 

Release Date: January 14th, 2022
Label: Iron Bonehead Productions
Tracklisting:

1. Intro
2. Abrahamic Sedition
3. Nihil Privativum
4. Interlude I
5. Silent Oratorium
6. Interlude II
7. Exhortation to the Impure
8. Outro