Communion - At The Announcement CD

One of the most cult bands in the shit-hot South American black/death scene, for nearly a decade now, COMMUNION have been cultivating a mystique and work ethic like no other. Staunchly DIY and largely rejecting the gross machinations of the European "metal" industry, COMMUNION have built up a sparse yet strangely vast body of work comprising myriad short-length releases - sometimes, true "singles" in that the release will feature only one track - that are either self-released or released through vocalist/bassist Deathmessiah's Proselytism label, which has become ground zero for the very best in nowadays South American black/death. Despite their often-short runtimes, each COMMUNION release is its own special world, ranging the rich history of South American metal, from its blackest, most sulfurous depths to its most traditional, headbanging heights. That one band can encompass a relatively expansive swath of sounds whilst remaining uniquely rigid and focused in their attack has endeared the band to legions the world over, all of whom await each COMMUNION release with bated breath and cherish it as a true artifact.

Recorded with an expanded four-piece lineup (lead guitarist Spirit of the Tyrant then left the band but shall return for LP#3), At the Announcement is the grand culmination of the classic COMMUNION archetype firmly established during the EP/demo era. Here, you shall find their WITCHING METAL in its rawest and wildest state, rearranging their unapologetic influences - Venom, Sodom, Sarcofago, Samael, Slayer, Mayhem, Treblinka, Agressor (France), Pentagram (Chile), Mortem (Perú) - into a swirling, cacophonous cauldron that sounds quite like none of them but only as COMMUNION. All the stink of the dungeon, all the sulfur of the ritual lair, all the moss and mildew of realms long forgotten, the diabolism and debauchery and decadence of ancient devil worship: they are all laid bare across At the Announcement. Within its quick-hitting runtime of 28 minutes, COMMUNION explode with a fury like no other, bewitched into being and utterly possessed by each of these 11 conjurings. And yet, for however overwhelming all this fury may get, ghastly and gibbering and forever in thrall, there's an acutely clear-headed vision at play At the Announcement; COMMUNION are certainly no strangers to the studio nor the stage, where their performances in legendary regard.

The Sinister Flame.