Marrowomb “Phisenomie”
The creative edge of extreme music almost always spawns from the underground, where self-release, self-produced, and boundless experimentation are the norm. Once in a while, you may stumble upon an album that is steeped in its concept and festering with musical madness that you just have to consume it over and over again. The new one-man project Marrowomb has given birth to such a record that will appeal to those who appreciate a more avant-garde approach to their blackened death metal.
Multi-instrumentalist Frank Lato decided to step away from his previous two bands in 2020 to focus on his solo project now known as Marrowomb. Frank primarily contributed bass and vocals in Polyptych (blackened tech death) and Endmember (death/sludge), both based in the Chicago, Illinois area. Although Marrowomb’s debut record, Phisenomie, leans more towards the black metal realm, you can hear slight nods to Frank’s previous bands in the mix. Written and recorded over the span of five years, Phisenomie showcases impressive compositions that incorporate a lot of dynamics, multiple genre influences, and contextual samples. Lyrically the album explores the human psyche and the inner conflicts it creates. Dissecting this further, the album title refers to the French word physiognomy; also known as face reading. Physiognomy, now considered a pseudoscience, asserts that physical traits of a person directly link to traits in their personality. With that in mind, we can then infer that the expressive album art, created by surreal artist Penny Slinger, may reveal certain characteristics that Frank is trying to express throughout his music.
Marrowomb’s sound is chaotic and cathartic with sprinkled moments of melodic beauty. The first track “Phantasia Katalepteke” sets the tone by starting with an iconic sample from the film 1931 film Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, before swirling into a full blackened death metal frenzy with four distinct growls from Frank. Interestingly the drumming by session drummer Kevin Paradis shifts between a d-beat style grindcore style to a more traditional death metal double bass groove giving the song a unique blend of paces and attitude. Frank’s vocals are firmly centered on a mid guttural foundation with a similar quality to Messugah’s Jens Kidman but do range up into a high register black metal shriek to accent some parts of the song. Towards the last third of the song the riffs shift into more of a sinister melody that is epic and ancient sounding; think of early Behemoth. The stand out track that incorporates much more dynamic and introduces a doomier sound is “Inner Ring.” It starts off with the most overtly black metal riff and drum pattern on the album and then transitions into a more cavernous sound by placing the main riff in the left speaker and a grimy lead riff in the right speaker. This production trick adds a sense of unease to the composition and is only enhanced by the gothic synths that cut through the mix. Frank also varies his vocals here by taking a lighter spoken word approach during the more doomy sections of the song. Towards the last quarter of the song the doomy riffs are accentuated by what sounds like an out of tune piano instead of regular synths, which give it almost a mocking carnival vibe, before the song concludes with the same solid black metal opening riff. The next song on the record “Black Gossamer” is the most representative of the OSDM sound as it consists mostly of aggressively groovy riffs with pinch harmonic accents. There is some clever use of dissonant notes and laser sounding synths that warp the texture of the song further. This is also one of three songs to feature a guest solo, in this case Curtis Vamarassi does a great job of composing a fun chaotic solo that blends really well with the OSDM attitude of the track. The most atmospheric song on the album is the almost 12 minute closer called “Despairloom.” The first 2:30 minute intro is a perfect slab of death doom melancholia which is accented by some blackened licks here and there. This groove then makes way for a guest solo by Shane Hill, which is melodic and somber, almost acting as the vocal part of this movement in the song. The gloom is interrupted by a brief pause and a dramatic shift to a faster blackened death metal section with chugging riffs and guttural vocals that get layered with an effect that makes Frank sound like he’s underwater. The death doom riff returns at the end of the song but slightly transformed. The sound expands by adding flute-like synths and touches of what sounds like machine beeps. Similarly, the drums are given some room to play with the kick drum pattern and manage to create a sense of urgency and panic by shifting back & forth from quarter notes to eighth notes.
Marrowomb’s debut record Phisenomie is a cathartic listen that blends black metal, death metal, grindcore, and darkwave elements to create a distinct sound for the project. Song compositions have been well thought out and song structures break conventions to showcase a more avant-garde side of extreme metal. Since the record is decently dense, the album is worth multiple listens to fully peel back the layers of each movement, instrument, and lyrics. For some however, there may not be enough variability between the songs leading to a sense of having heard the same riff or idea in the previous song and ultimately getting a bit bored. This is a matter of attention and taste of course, but what everyone can agree on is that Frank has taken the time to produce a full package with Phisenomie. The artwork, layout photography, lyrics, and sonic choices are all intentional; an alchemical exercise to deliver his message to the metal community.
SCORE: 4 / 5
FFO: Slugdge, Anaal Nathrakh, Imperial Triumphant
Purchase your digital copy of Phisenomie on Marrowomb’s Bandcamp today.
