Oxalate’s latest is an EP that’s a flash of dark conjuring that will close your eyes and poison your mind.
Oxalate is a New York / New Jersey Metal band – The Metal Archives lists them as Death Metal and the occult angle they have makes you think about the darker end of that musical spectrum. The band is (again, from The Metal Archives) Devon Ray (bass, vocals), Jackeline Betancourt (drums, vocals), Chris Albertsen (guitar), and Zakk Mild (guitar). They released the single Dank Sepulchrum in 2018, and independently pushed out Infatuating Sickness in 2019. This year they are on a split with Perpetuated, Blood Spore, and Vivisect, and Infatuating Sickness is getting a new release.
Infatuating Sickness is trudging Black Metal that delivers a consistent eleven minutes and eleven seconds of dire hopelessness. The music relies heavily on the rhythm section and compelling vocals. The guitars get to shine in short lead flurries in “Unwholesome Revelation” and “Dark Ritual,” while they are more prominent parts of “Blood and Sulphur” and right at the end of the title track. I have only heard five songs from this band and I like all of them. I am aching for more. Recommended.
The download for Infatuating Sickness has been out for a while at the band’s Bandcamp page, and the CD, a new download, and merch will be available Friday, September 4 from Horror Pain Gore Death (second link below). The band was also selling a tape and t-shirt bundle through their Facebook page (third link below) earlier this week – check in there and see if any remain.
Links.
https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/infatuating-sickness
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