Cursus Impasse: The Pendlomic Vows by Howls of Ebb is a terrible recording, sharing the same finese of sound quality with a partially blocked didgeridoo. However if you can get passed the shitty preset mix you might actually find some horrific music behind the aural gauze.
It might not sound right but Howls of Ebb’s second full-length starts off on the right foot by riffing like a beasts warning to the forest. Trudging on through the muddy texture remorselessly defeating any eroded debris awaiting silence while playing with the semblance of conforming to the conflicted ecosystem but actually just challenging it with a marauders intent.
The performance is djent as the pacing simple, raw and passionate; hard and heavy, but simple. There’s no funky time signatures being used to mess with the flow. In fact there’s no funk – this is a cacophonous ode to inspiration. A fervent and uncompromising slice of atrocity that will have your neighbors requesting an exorcism from the Vatican.
A shoddy mix isn’t enough to eclipse the horrors Howls of Ebb conjure and their songs are too good to stay hidden. Coming with a grotesque helping of dolore la doppio makes each lick of the fret board like water to thirst. Cursus Impasse: The Pendlomic Vows is a vile sounding album, but bring the pain. It works better that way.
9/10
