Way To End
Desecrated Internal Journey
6.9
That there is yet another French metal band pushing the traditional black metal aesthetic should surprise no one. We have come to expect this. Whether it’s the southern tinged Glorior Belli, mind-bending Deathspell Omega or blissed-out Alcest, the country’s musical output has certainly been expansive. With Desecrated Internal Journey, Way to End continues this legacy but does so in a more subtle, more calculated and sometimes less compelling manner than its counterparts.
“Facing the Abyss” is a rather macabre intro track. The strokes of piano keys here are not unlike the parts in silent films where the character is going through some kind of struggle. An urgency and sense of frenzy permeates its latter half, with the keys building in intensity. The transition from a purely instrumental track to the whirlwind of competing vocals on “A Step into the Void” is a brazen one. There’s a discordant, almost haphazard vibe, its razor sharp riffs colliding and careening like chunks of earth before disappearing like lightweight particles, subject to the blunt force of the screeching vocals. Within its first nine minutes, Desecrated Internal Journey proves itself to be a more than worthy listen.
However, not every song feels as dangerous and unpredictable as “A Step into the Void.” Uneven songwriting is the album’s most obvious flaw. “The Worm” is relatively flat and leads nowhere. “The Sore of Creation” boasts some absolutely beautiful progressive parts but the contrast between those and the heavier sections is frustrating. There are so many layers to the album and so much competing for attention that the weight of the material and its potential impact gets lost. Nonetheless, Way to End has a knack for progressive black metal, and when the band caters to that and slows things down, it makes for one hell of a listen. A follow-up will be eagerly anticipated.
