The blackened death metal genre is full of bands that all sound the same. And so I sat down with Phisenomie on the PR-text’s promise that it would be experimental and explore themes of internal human conflict. The only way to get rid of my curiosity was to yield to it! Based out of Chicago, Marrowomb consists of multi-instrumentalist Frank Lato (Headshrinker, Polyptych) and features Kevin Paradis (…a lot of things) as a session drummer. You’d struggle to hear that this is not a full band, however, which speaks of Lato‘s proficiency as a musician and sound engineer (he did the mix for the album himself). V. Santura‘s master is also round and warm sounding, making for an album that is soft on the ears, balanced, hiding no detail. Phisenomie is a collection of tracks that roughly deal in the same kind of sound as Vredehammer — blackened death metal focused on furious riffs that trade blows across the songs. Where Marrowomb manage to stand out is in some odd rhythms and use of dissonant chords that is a clear heritage from Polyptych. Unlike that band, which I have only sampled, Marrowomb seems to be more lean and intent on pounding your face in. The album makes a great first impression with its heft and tense rhythms. Lato uses samples from early movie adaptions from works such as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and The Picture of Dorian Grey to add to the theme of the album. So, what about those themes and promised experimentation? Does Phisenomie deliver a portrait you can’t look away from?
It’s not exactly the most magical thing that has ever happened to me.
As much as I can tell, Phiesnomie hews pretty close to the established blackened death metal sound, and sticks to it to a T. There are some unconventional rhythmic riffs here and there, which unfortunately go by in a blur and reflects a main weakness in this album’s construction — memorability. Most songs on the A-side blend together despite going through loud/quiet and fast/slow dynamics throughout. But each time I spin this album, what sticks with me afterwards are the samples. There are some exceptions, like the dissonant lead guitar in “Black Gossamer” that builds impressively to its climax, or the almost silly black metal riffs and vocals of “MIRROR MIRROR, On the WALL” in “The Mirror”, that stick out. But even those songs can’t escape the feeling that Lato arranged them as vehicles for the aggressive riffing rather than crafting them as distinct songs. Thematically, the songs don’t seem to fare much better as, if I’d listened to Phisenomie without hearing the samples or reading that PR text, I’d never remotely have guessed or felt what it’s about. It’s clear that Lato, despite spending a lot of time working on this album, has issues with writing. A sequence of riffs passing the baton to each other can be compelling in the moment but if not adhering to a simple idea, they are easy to forget. It is a shame as one of the other projects he’s involved in that I love, Headshrinker, I would say the exact opposite of, as the writing in their debut album feels thoughtful, thematically strong and bursting with great riffs that revolve around the theme. Still, while it’s playing, Phisenomie is enjoyable enough display of a experienced and skilled musician. Perhaps you will find something compelling in its mirror image, where I find myself wishing for more thorough and primitive duality in its blackened death metal.
