Hailing from the Montana underground death metal outfit Cellar Vessel returns with their latest release, Sermons In The Void. This is a brutal fusion of orchestral grace and punishing death grooves that grasps towards a nostalgic sound that is somewhat reminiscent of Opeth. Sweeping symphonic passages that transform into brutal breakdowns is always a charming and amusing fusion for me. While this style of death metal with its proggy influence isn’t my typical style of taste, I can certainly find the appeal of this release. Its well crafted with a lot of heart and thought put into each track.
The album starts with a rolling symphonic intro, building a world within its music. Producing a gloomy and gothic atmosphere dripping in nostalgic angst that only early 2000s progressive death metal can build. The album really leans into the symphonic atmosphere, but thankfully, it was done in a way that blends seamlessly with the heavier metal passages. In fact, the whole release does feel like one cohesive piece. Each track is highly produced with a clean and crisp sound and showcases the band’s skill. From the drumming to the guitars, its all well crafted and calculated down to each note. This is certainly a thinking man’s metal album. With each track being something to digest and listen to thoughtfully rather than in a quick fast paced and out of order way. You’d be losing a lot if you just threw it into a playlist and listened to it out of place.
The only real stumble for me comes right after the two-minute intro. Track two dives head-first into a chuggy, palm-muted djent style that feels oddly out of place next to the rest of the album’s orchestral, and classical progressive death metal sound. It’s probably the most “modern” moment here, all low-tuned groove and chug rhythms, and honestly it leans a little hard into cliché territory. I’m just not the target audience for that flavor of tech-death/djent, so the song felt like it belonged on someone else’s record. Luckily it’s over pretty quick and doesn’t derail things.
The rest of the tracks settle back into the album’s true personality, and the title track in particular is a standout. The vocals hit harder here, the atmosphere is thick and immersive, and even though there’s still some djent-y riffing underneath, it feels way more purposeful and integrated into the song’s flow. By that point the album has found its stride, and everything clicks.
Overall, I did enjoy this album though, its emphasis on the epic atmosphere and and refreshingly clean production that didn’t feel overly produced. Overall it felt like a true project of passion and spirit that is always pleasant to listen to and served to be a wonderful accompaniment for my own personal writing, helping set the mood for building a dark and brooding world. Its an album I think can be approachable by anyone, from a first time heavy metal listener who is just getting into heavier music to even the oldest and jaded of veterans. Its interesting as well to hear their previous release, Vein Beneath The Soil, which was much heavier than Sermons, and something that was a bit more interesting to me. Either way, a solid release, and makes me interested to see what else they have in store.