Review: Phobocosm - Deprived

Montreal's Phobocosm bring an old-school approach to death metal on their debut album Deprived, yet it doesn't feel stale or derivative. Despite forming in 2008, this is the first I've heard of Phobocosm. It appears that they've spent the last several years honing their dark craft, for this record oozes toxins and pestilence from start to finish.

Opening instrumental "Sleep Deprivation" trudges along slowly and deliberately, and I could easily envision this track also working as an intro on a black metal album. In any case, it sets up "Solipsist" perfectly, as this song showcases exactly what Phobocosm can deliver at varying speeds.

Although skilled no matter what the pace, Phobocosm are at their most lethal when slowed down. Prime examples include "Knives in the Senate House" and "Solar Storm." I played a snippet of the former to a group of students to reinforce the meaning of noxious (a vocabulary word), and while the latter gets off to a fast and punishing start, I could listen to its final two minutes all day long.

While there are chaotic moments on Deprived, surprisingly catchy moments also pop up here and there (not in a Beatle-esque way but in a death metal way). The opening vocals on "27 Days of Darkness" are downright catchy, and "Awaken Unconscious" actually one-ups that track with an even higher level of catchiness.

As "Forever in Doubt" closes the record, there should be no doubt about what Phobocosm can deliver. Clocking in at over eleven minutes, this last song thoroughly encapsulates the dismal and mephitic world that the band constructs on Deprived, a debut album that's absolutely worth checking out.

Metallurgical Rating:  4.5 / 5.0