Photo: Paisley Mena
Los Angeles entity Swampbeast last emerged from their marshy lair in 2021, presenting their debut album, Seven Evils Spawned of Seven Heads, following a pair of smaller releases. They’ve emerged from the swamp again, this time with sophomore effort Offering of Chaos, Lamenting in the Blood of Man in tow. A 10-track slab of blackened death metal, Offering of Chaos is a death metal rager that gets to the heart of what makes the genre good.
Swampbeast start the album with “Transmutation of Human Flesh,” utilizing a dissonant guitar riff to start things off and then we’re off to the races for Offering of Chaos‘ runtime. Rarely slowing down or taking prisoners, Offering of Chaos reaches an early peak on “Brand of Heresy,” which slows the track down at multiple points, allowing the listener to relish in the cave-like atmosphere Swampbeast have built… before blowing it away again. “Bestial Sanctuary” is one of the album’s other highlights, utilizing its length to slot in a litany of riffs. “Nuckelavee” is a tribute to one of Scotland’s most-metal legends.
Offering of Chaos, Lamenting in the Blood of Man ends with an interesting pair of songs. “Incantations of the Tarnished” is a song-length interlude that leads into “Fate Relinquished,” which notably veers into melodic black and death metal territory instead of the savage brand heard elsewhere on the album. It’s an interesting choice and one that hints toward what Swampbeast could do in the future.
For now, Offering of Chaos, Lamenting in the Blood of Man is more than enough to sink your teeth into and it’s streaming below. It officially releases tomorrow, May 31, on Translation Loss.