Terrestrial Hospice’s third full-length, Omnicide – Chapter I, much like their preceding releases, embraces the second-wave black metal tradition. The Polish duo subscribe to the era’s confrontational black metal, defined by exhilarating speed and discordance, but without forgetting that the same eerie elements can also create an immersive atmosphere. The acoustic passage of “Phosphoric Salvation” creates the same dark magic, producing a pensive but resolute moment. Similarly, the eerie guitar remains central, applying the long-form, tremolo-picked technique that defined much of the genre. The closing of “Call of the Void” inhabits this same space, with its slow, slithering riffs conjuring an infernal quality.
At times, this devotion to the genre could backfire, pushing Terrestrial Hospice into a corner of nostalgia and simple regurgitation. Carrying the stylistic DNA of Gorgoroth and Urgehal could result in a one-dimensional rendition. However, Terrestrial Hospice take a broader view of the genre, which lets them avoid that predicament. The first distinction comes through their links to the Polish black metal scene, which provides a more muscular counterpart to the dissonant and eerie methods, especially when they slow down in “Depraver (Black Invocation)” and settle into a heavier groove.
At the same time, they’re unafraid to touch on the majestic side of 1990s black metal, but they do it in a non-obvious way. Their melodic moments and keyboard work draw on mid-period Abigor and very early Dimmu Borgir releases, giving them more hooks and a more immersive experience.
Most importantly, they don’t get caught up in an ill-thought-out reach for authenticity. They don’t delude themselves by adopting raw, lo-fi production aesthetics. The production fits not only the spirit of black metal, but also its execution. They do not treat the low-end as something abhorrent, instead allowing the bass to establish the driving pulse in moments like “Drowning Spirit”, especially alongside the faster drumming. They don’t tone down their technical ability for the sake of feeling.
Listening to Omnicide, you hear two musicians who are at the top of their game, never being flashy to the extent of jeopardising their songwriting, but just enough to make things more volatile. The drumming patterns in “The Couloir of Despair” are a perfect example, as the meticulous cymbal work enhances the steamroller rendition.
In many ways, Omnicide makes a similar proposition to Archgoat’s Nightbringer, Lightbringer. It is deeply embedded in the black metal tradition, understanding it fully and wanting to do it justice, just as Archgoat approaches the proto-death and proto-black metal sound. Similarly, Terrestrial Hospice refuse to become hostage to the throwback exercise, pretending that they are still operating as if it were the 1990s. They were there; they have done that with their other projects. Now, they take on decades of experience and bring it into the present. That makes Omnicide much more than a throwback. It applies the original black metal vision through today’s means.