Damnatory was a death metal band from Switzerland that released only a couple demos and EPs before splitting up. I'd love to pick up some of their material, but they went out of print a long time ago, and the only album I managed to find online was Docta Ignorantia. I might as well take what I get.
Is it just me, or do the Swiss produce some of the strangest death metal ever? The EP starts off with this strange dark ambient intro complete with interstellar keyboards and a loud humming sound that sounds like a wind tunnel, although I'm not entirely sure. Some of the keyboards remind me of Final Fantasy VIII. It then transitions into the first actual song, “Ubiquitous Antagonist”. The production is kind of quiet, but other than that, it's handled really well.
The bass is deep below the other instruments, but they help give the music depth, and there are times when they manage to break through the crust. The drums mainly play mid-paced beats with the occasional fills. No complaints there. The guitars have sort of a doom tinge to them, played at the same pace as the drums, but there are other times when they break into faster sections that remind me of Obituary and Death. There are also times when the guitars play these eerie clean sections. The growls sound pretty typical for the time, but they do the job well.
Overall, Docta Ignorantia is a brilliant piece of obscure evil. Highly recommended for collectors everywhere! That is, if you can even find a copy.
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