THEOPHAGIST – their album “I Am Abyss” is out now via Bandcamp #theophagist

On February 22nd 2020 the debut album from Luxembourg band Theophagist, called ‘I Am Abyss’, was released.  This full length has been released through the band themselves so it’s an Independent Release.

This band was founded in 2015 but it doesn’t mean we deal with a young and new band. They already played in a band with another name before Theophagist was founded so all band members already have the necessary experience. This band from Luxembourg brings us a very good portion of death metal, with the necessary black- and thrash influences in it. You even will notice a certain Scandinavian-vibe….

More info about this band can be found at:

https://www.facebook.com/TheophagistBand/

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/theophagist/i-am-abyss

https://www.instagram.com/theophagistband/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFK1SjPuWieIlvuMSuvC1Pg

https://www.theophagist.com/

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Theophagist/3540464123

https://theophagist.bandcamp.com/releases

 

The older local metalheads among you might remember a little band called Elitist Death Squad,
which was active about a decade ago and then faded into obscurity. Four years ago parts of that
group reformed under a new name and a somewhat different sound…it was the birth of
Theophagist! Fast forward to today, where the quintet has played many shows and finally recorded
its debut album, titled I Am Abyss, which is due to be released this Saturday, February 22nd! Of
course, I had to get my hands on this baby ahead of time and try to make you drool over what’s to
hit your ears soon.
I find the band’s sound quite interesting, simply by the mere fact that they’re generally-speaking a
modern death metal band, but they have that little je ne sais quoi that gives me strong old school
vibes. So, let’s just pretend that they reside in their own genre: eclectic modern death metal! I think
that if I had to somehow describe it in more detail, I’d say that the song structures are very modern,
with “slamming” parts, but the riffs for example are very traditional. It creates a very diverse sonic
experience, that should satisfy all kinds of listeners, old and young, if they actually give the mixture a
chance.
Throughout the ten songs you are treated to a fairly relentless barrage of neck-breaking guitar parts
that range from fast riffing to headbang-inducing melodies. The bass usually complements the guitar
and adds another layer of force to the string department. The guitar solos are always used at just the
right times to spice the whole affair up whenever you just about think that the song has peaked.

In the skin-beating and metal-hitting realm, you are confronted by a tank that plows through blast-
beats and double bass parts with no mercy whatsoever. Yet, precision is never missing either, and

every little cymbal nuance and drum-fill rolls effortlessly off the sticks at all times.
While staying in the instrumental department, by far the track that stands out the most to me,
however, is weirdly enough the interlude titled Awakening The… It is a two and a half minute cello
piece that has a bone-chilling quality to it and it’s almost a shame that it’s incorporated into the
actual song it precedes or, for that matter, on more songs. But, on the other hand it might have
been a wise choice to avoid it from becoming a gimmick rather than the head-turner it is now.
It would be a very incomplete review if I didn’t mention the men with the pipes. Vocal duties are
shared between one of the guitarists and a stand-alone singer, with the former doing mostly higher
pitched screeches and the latter providing all the rest, from screams to the lowest of the low growls
you can imagine. It is no secret that I am a huge sucker for dual vocals and, although they’re mostly
used for choruses during these forty-three minutes, they definitely added a lot of enjoyment for me
personally.
The one aspect where the band might either lose your interest…or capture it completely, is the
lyrics. Recipe For Human Cake is, to me, a brilliantly provocative track (and tasty, too) but it might
not be everyone’s cup of tea.
All in all, what we have here is yet another strong Luxembourgish debut album that, I am sure, will
please more than one pair of ears. So, please, do yourself a favor and give I Am Abyss a listen when
it’s out and if you want to keep up with Theophagist head over to their Facebook page.

DisAgreement.net
Source: http://disagreement.net/reviews2020/theophagist_iamabyss.html
Despite having been around under the name Theophagist since 2015, the roots of this
Luxembourgish death metal band go back even a decade further when the guys were performing
under a different name. This is obvious once you start listening to their debut album I Am Abyss
which doesn’t sound like a first effort from a young newcomer band. It seems as if metalcore and all
of its variants are on the brink of extinction, as Theophagist take us back to a classic death metal
sound with a certain Scandinavian bent.
I Am Abyss contains nine songs plus an intro and offers a more varied sound that I had initially
expected. The band chose to open the album with a couple of tracks to set the mood, meaning that
their more accessible material comes first. The opener Cannibal Preacher starts with a moody guitar
intro before the band joins in a fast pace, with the evil vocals growling and screeching over it all. The
middle of the song contains a really great guitar solo, followed by a spoken word part before the

regular part of the song comes back. All of this is perfectly recorded, despite this debut being a self-
released venture. Burn That Witch is a groovy mid-tempo hammer, quite simple in its execution but

incredibly powerful nonetheless. This is the kind of song that will get heads banging during their
shows. Recipe For Human Cake is a gore influenced death metal track with exceedingly silly lyrics but
a catchy tongue-in-cheek chorus.
Once the listener is warmed up, the album loses a bit of momentum with the two and a half minute
long intro Awakening The…, performed on a cello and a viola or violin, and always making me feel as
if I am about to watch a Game of Thrones episode. Terrors From The Deep shows Theophagist from
a more complex side. Gone are the instantly accessible choruses, instead we get a six and a half
minute long track which will make you discover new details every time you listen to it. Epileptic
Seizure is somewhat more direct and has truly evil vocals. R.I.S.E. manages to be brutal and strangely
melancholic at the same time. The last three songs continue in that direction where you get
technically skilful death metal that never tries to be overly complex, which should make this record a
well earned treat for fans of muscular death metal that doesn’t shy away from occasional bouts of
melody.
What I end up liking most about I Am Abyss are the varied songwriting, the killer guitar riffs, the
pummelling rhythm section, the fierce vocals and also the guitar solos that are some of the best I
have come across on a death metal record in a long time. The lyrics may not really be a revelation,
but Theophagist just want to be a true death metal band, and that is something they have achieved
on this great sounding self-released debut album. Next to Desdemonia and Miles To Perdition,
Theophagist are right now the hottest item in Luxembourgish death metal.