Venomous Echoes — Writhing Tomb Amongst the Stars

One man wrecking crew Benjamin Vanweelden brings forth engaging and experimental death, utilizing extra samples and effects worked into the mix as well as heavy reverb to give the album an alien feel. While many aspects of the instrumentation and composition reflect traditional death, each is turned on its ear just a tad to alter one's expectations and listening experience. While screeching, vertical guitar rips would generally warm one's heart with their comfortability, the coldness with which they're presented here adds a nice level of terror, like uncanny valley of sorts. The guitars rip forth on Writhing, and help push the otherworldliness/dreamscape into each composition. Whether dissonant drones or unexpected sequences, the guitars really power the creativeness of the album and are worth an album listen just on their own. The vocals take a few different approaches, sometimes shrieks, sometimes spoken, and sometimes guttural (naturally!), they give many different perspectives to the narration and concept, all while adding extra quirkiness to the songs. Couple this with the samples and effects and the album's true soul can be readily heard. Chunkening the mix, the heavy bass adds the darkness of space and increases the gravity (in every sense of the word). Completing the rhythm section, the drums are fast, furious, and pretty in your face. However, they certainly have a "one man death metal band" sound, and most of the flourish of a dedicated drummer is lost, which considering how interesting the other parts are, one could only imagine what the right drummer would have done with this material. That's not to say it's bad, just fairly standard, although there are a few choice moments when they really shine. But all in all, if solid drumming is the weak point, the album is already beyond expectations.

 

Although the album has been out on CD since 2023, Venomous Echoes' Writhing Tomb Amongst the Stars is getting another bump to new listeners with its vinyl release. Showcasing the far reaching mind of Benjamin Vanweelden covering everything but the kitchen sink, this album pushes limits in such refreshing ways. Experimental but not avant-garde, Writhing improves with each successive listen as layers are unpacked and processed, making each spin better than the last.