Dodecahedron — Self Titled
Hailing from the Netherlands, Dodecahedron were alive under the former guise 'Order of the Source Below' before being picked up by SOM off the back of a two track demo using the new moniker. Surprisingly, this is not just another faceless clone, successfully managing to lay down some unique textures and sounds, ranging from dark, spectral noise and doom infused with brutal passages that manage to touch upon the sounds of acts such as Arabrot and The Dillinger Escape Plan in the process.
An interesting combination for sure, but does it work in practice? The answer is - very nearly. 'Allfather' kicks off the album, relentless blastbeats intertwine with dissonant and hallucinatory passages, before breaking back into the technical brutality proving their musical expertise and providing a solid opener to the album. This all-out assault gives way over the course of the next few tracks, 'I, Cronocractor' drops through a section of rising noise and drones, before a hypnotic riff takes centre stage with dark gothic vocals weaving in and out of your subconscious. The epic 'Vanitias' keeps this vibe going, but after a while you cannot help but feel your attention waning as they rake over tried and tested ground and they start to lose their coherency in the process.
'Descending Jacobs Ladder', one of the only two sub six minute songs on the entire record, is completely devoid of metal and opts for a more dark ambient approach, using the vocals as an extra instrument, chants layered over anguished screams combine with droning feedback and industrial shards. This piece provides a breather before the first of the three 'View from Hverfell' tracks kicks in, which are entitled 'Head above the Heavens', 'Inside the Omnipotent Chaos' and 'A Traveller of the Seed of Earth' respectively. The last section of the album seems to be a lot more focused that the preceding few tracks, taking all the ideas presented during the first couple and creating a more visceral and tangible prospect altogether.
Overall the album is not quite up there with the likes of Blut Aus Nords triumphant 777 series, but neither is the record devoid of promise, it’s a solid effort, losing its way slightly during ‘Vanitas’ only to come back for a very strong finishing half. It took a bit of patience, but Seasons of Mist have clearly stumbled across an extremely talented act and it will be interesting to see how they progress from here.