The trio that together makes up Diabolic Oath has just delivered us something new to chew on, not all too long after the split 7” EP with Aberration that was released in the very first days of January of this year. And just like that one song on the split EP and the previously released recordings, ‘Oracular Hexations’ is another exercise in an unrefined and savage clutter of Black- and Death Metal. Rather unoriginal perhaps, but these Americans certainly know their craft.
In just over half an hour we are being served with swirling riffs, thunderous drums and hellish vocals, pretty much just in line with what we have feeding our eardrums with on the band’s first full-length album and subsequent EP. It all still pretty much sounds like a more Death Metal-oriented Bestial Warlust, a good dose of chaos and confusion with the same sort of frantic vibe to it. But that these guys really know what they are doing is heard in the sometimes unorthodox rhythm changes and especially when the pace slows down a little there is a clear adoration for older-to-mid Morbid Angel to be heard.
‘Oracular Hexations’ might not bring anything new to the table, not even within the band’s own discography, but it does sound a bit more well-balanced. The atmospheric parts in a track like ‘Fragmented Hymns From The Globulous Cruciger’ shows the band in a little more musically mature fashion. Yet, and this is quite important for the Diabolic Oath-formula, without losing anything of their trademark frenzied aggression.
If you loved the heavy grinding guitar sound and the relentless pummelling of the previous recordings, you can not go wrong with ‘Oracular Hexations’. And if you have knack for bands like Bestial Warlust, Angelcorpse or Teitanblood, Diabolic Oath will definitely be straight up your alley. In any case, with this new album under their belts, they continue to carve their name in this particular niche genre in ever firmer terms.
