With fifteen years under their belt as an active entity, Italy’s Assumption has now released their third full-length studio album. This particular outfit creates thunderous Death/Doom that exists within a stylistic plane of esoteric mysticism. This new record is entitled ‘Paradox of the Arrow’, a reference to the ancient Greek philosopher Zeno’s philosophical arguments regarding concepts such as motion, time and space. This scholar would argue that mankind was wrong in its perception of the concept of ‘movement’ and that, observed at any moment, an arrow flying through the air would be witnessed in a static position. The band’s label, 20 Buck Spin, has stated that these six tracks are designed to ‘draw the listener through successive states of movement and inertia, collapsing the notion of linear time.’
The dominance of guitars within the sound of Assumption’s music feels reminiscent of bands like Mortiferum and Disembowelment but with an added abstract Death Metal murk that nods towards Incantation. The album begins with the title track opening to a state of roomy ambient stasis, almost like a movie scene wherein time has stopped moving. Soon after this initial passage, the band’s rolling heavy low end progresses through a slew of tremolo-picked guitar riffs and conventional lower register growl dirty vocals. Three minutes in and a chanted voice drenched in a large reverb repeats the word ‘paradox’ like some sort of ceremonious religious cleric. The second track, ‘A Labyrinth in Ruin’ feels dizzying, with its various swirling riffs playing out in a fashion that is equal parts disorientating and entertaining. It is a track that, from a compositional standpoint, certainly feels very ‘motion’ centred. It is a successfully bemusing piece of Death Doom and I also quite enjoy the battering punchy sound of the guitars.
‘Tombs Upon The Sun’ brings volume and intensity aplenty, although I do find that the considerably more catchy nature of this track features a central motif that sounds quite routine for the style. The ascending / descending riffage on ‘Southwards Our Spirits Shall Forever Drift’ offers a nice change of dynamics and the track progresses towards a more suffocating territory in its latter movements. The clerical vocal chants are more prominent on ‘Selenite’ wherein an extended tranquil section is bookended by some of the most crushing material on the album. I should also mention that the bass throughout the record has a very pleasant distorted tone and I enjoy much of the playing here.
From a conceptual standpoint, ‘Paradox of the Arrow’ is a well executed endeavour with its focus on motion, stillness and an often succesfully disorientating tumult. Occasionally, the riffing falls victim to some slightly generic execution, but fortunately, the better part of the album’s runtime has enough of a distinctive flavour to remain fairly interesting. Whilst it may not be the most fully remarkable Death/Doom record that I have digested in 2026, there are still some great ideas on this LP. I think there will be some entertainment here to reap for those who’ve enjoyed the recent output by Fossilization, Foetorem and Besotten. (Huw)
Death/Doom Metal is known for its particular affinity for atmosphere, and it’s easy for the genre to become overly reliant on cavernous production. However, for the Italian quartet Assumption, things have been different since their first full-length, and the third one ‘Paradox of the Arrow’ is no exception.
The band continues to explore the boundaries of such style by bringing together crushing heaviness and dissonant rhythms with a modern, crystal-clear production without losing sight of the darkness that lies at the heart of this genre’s DNA.
Listening to the record naturally brings diSEMBOWELMENT and Demilich to mind, particularly due to its low-pitched, gurgling growls, along with some of the fundamental characteristics of their overall style. One of the elements that stands out on this record is its dark melodicism and use of interlocking riffs, which is something today’s underground purveyors such as Mefitis utilizes a lot. However, Assumption introduces enough variations to distinguish themselves from all these influences.
There is a complementing combination of restraint and aggression throughout the composition. The riffs often move ponderously which allows the weight of each progression to settle before the songs shift into comparatively faster segments.
The occasional use of synths further expands this sonic landscape without overwhelming the core instrumentation. On top of that, spoken-word passages and choir styled vocals add another dimension to the arrangements, which is worth noting.
Compared to Hadean Tides, their previous full-length from 2022, this album feels like a further refinement of the band’s musical identity, particularly in its willingness to experiment with structure and melody.
Overall, the appeal of “Paradox of the Arrow” is not only in its heaviness, but also in the thoughtfully crafted songwriting, dark melodicism, and unpredictable shifts that retain the listeners interest throughout the album. It’s the kind of record that stays with you and makes you want to revisit it from time to time. (Osmani)
