Album Review: Thecodontion – Supercontinent (Repose Records/I, Voidhanger Records)
Thecodontion is a black/death metal band hailing from Rome, Italy. Founded in 2016 by Heliogabalus (also known as G.E.F. – vocals) and Stilgar (also known as G.D. – bass).
On June 26th 2020 they will release their debut album, Supercontinent.
The band share some insight into the album:
Our lyrical themes deal with prehistory, fossils, paleontology and geologic periods, and we try to convey that atmosphere with a peculiar approach: infact we don’t use guitars, replaced with two distorted basses (with a third one for solos). As the name would suggest, Supercontinent is a concept album about ancient supercontinents, from Vaalbara to Pangaea: it contains 11 tracks, including also 4 non-metal, instrumental tracks inspired to ancient superoceans (Gyrosia, Lerova, Tethys, Panthalassa). We consider the album for fans of Antediluvian, Mitochondrion, Mithras and Neurosis.
This is not our first meeting with the monolithic monster that is Thecodontion. Having made their acquaintance in March 2019 via their Jurassic EP. A release that we liked but didn’t love (read the review here).
It brings us such an amount of pleasure to say that Supercontinent is a serious step up. A band having really found their feet and groove, resulting in a monumental and ancient slab of heaviness.
What we have here is 11 tracks of all encircling noise that drops a lot of the ‘garage’ style recoding of the EP for a much cleaner and more detectible sound. The difference it makes is so important as Supercontinent is all about its layers. The little touches that sit in the background, not immediately obvious but something that stands out when you catch it.
Mostly they provide savage blackened death heaviness but are certainly not confined by that style either. Often far more complex than you might expect, Thecodontion are also unafraid to just let rip at times too. Those moments are wild and uncouth, harsh and violent to the ears but still very enjoyable.
Like the coming together of tectonic plates, Supercontinent is a crushing release.
Thecodontion – Supercontinent Full Track Listing:
1. Gyrosia
2. Vaalbara
3. Ur
4. Kenorland
5. Lerova
6. Nuna
7. Rodinia
8. Tethys
9. Laurasia-Gondwana
10. Pangaea
11. Panthalassa
Links
Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Thecodontion – Supercontinent (Repose Records/I, Voidhanger Records)
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The Final Score - 8/10
8/10