Review: Tithe ‘Inverse Rapture’
Portland, Oregon needs to get someone out to check the water, it seems like the ‘City Of Roses’ should be renamed the ‘City Of Abyssal Gloom’ as the place just seems to have the knack of polluting our ear waves with some of the most oppressive music known to man. Whether it be Mizmor, Usnea, Autophagy or Ossuarium seeking to crush our collective souls, there seems to be an unending list of new groups spilling out of Portland ready to join in the destruction! Today I get to bring you the latest record from already established Portland demolition crew Tithe, it’s titled Inverse Rapture and it’s out February 17th via the ever-consistent and ever-awesome Profound Lore Records.
Three years on from their venomous debut Penance, Tithe are back and ready to decimate all within their vicinity with their melting pot of blistering grind cross death cross doom. Inverse Rapture isn’t just about the decimation, it’s much more personal. The title track relates to guitarist/vocalist Matt Eiseman losing his mother and explains about it on the press release, which is better coming from the man himself…
‘Inverse Rapture is about watching my mom slowly disappear from Alzheimer’s. She caught Covid towards the end and that was what ultimately dealt her death blow. Until she died, I watched her slowly decline for years. You are your memories. Every experience that you have had has shaped the person that you have become. Who are you when you forget all of that? ‘The first wounds. The last kills’ was a quote that I included in the lyrics that was written on a sundial as an ode to the passage of time and the erosion of the human experience. Every path that life takes leads to death. Tedious or abrupt, we are all united in this singular fate. The garden withers. Our breath becomes shallow. Triumphant, death consumes us all.’
a feral attack from the guitars striking blows left, right and centre while the drums absolutely pulverise you into a mushy mess…
The musicianship on here is excellent, a feral attack from the guitars striking blows left, right and centre while the drums absolutely pulverise you into a mushy mess. You’ll leave with a stiff neck and a need for some paracetamol to deal with the chaos induced headache, can’t say you’ll mind though! But the very best thing that features on this record are the vocals. Twinged with the abrasiveness of black metal but mostly they’re just full of malice and utterly savage, the guy needs to be locked up! Eiseman just goes off on here and it’s an absolute barn burner!
Tracks like Parasite and Killing Tree stood out to me, notably lower in tempo but still just as vicious. I found myself coming back to them time and time again. The personal grief and analytical perspective on death flows through this record. It’s viciously dark, agonising and oppressive material that’s not for the faint hearted. The crushing power is manic and unrepentant but met with barrels of atmosphere, especially when the group utilise sludgy elements on their sound, it’s hard not to be drawn into the darkness with vitriolic intrigue. Fear not though, you shan’t return disappointed.
Label: Profound Lore Records
Band Links: Bandcamp | Instagram
Scribed by: Matt Alexander
