Does anyone remember obscure US (Black) / Death acts like NEPENTHE who became LIGEIA then KING CARNAGE (actually their mighty fine 2013 album was reviewed on these unholy pages here)? Well, all these bands are the precursors or in some way connected to HOWLS OF EBB whose 2014 debut invites you all to enter a realm of bizarre yet ancient sounding, gloomy Death Metal somewhere between the macabre glory of AUTOPSY and the dissonance of VOIVOD plus X. The X consists of a constant interplay of calm, slightly jazzy sections and brain-melting off-kilter guitar riffs or noises creating an intense and for me, irresistible atmosphere on the fine line between sheer insanity and controlled, song-oriented darkness. With its hardly distorted guitar sound, vocals – raw, well phrased mid-range roars – and drums mixed very upfront the sound aficionados among you might yell this sounds like shit, but I have hardly heard a record this year that dragged me so quickly in its ominous, twisted sonic flow. To me “Vigils Of The 3rd Eye” is astonishing David Lynch-ian Death Metal with insane dwarfs cutting the curtains inside the black lodge. It’s irritating, occasionally sounds completely wrong (e.g. the manic staccato of blast beats in ‘Opulent Ghouls… Blessed Be Thy End’), brilliantly hypnotic (‘Illucid Illuminati Of The Dark’), atmospheric, lunatic, fascinating. “Vigils Of The 3rd Eye” surely is not made for everyone, it might be a tough nut to crack at first yet it does not overtax your sweet little ears with full-on craziness from start to finish. With relish it dances organically and swiftly from straight forward Death Metal over ambience to the aforementioned wickedness. Amazing. You’ll find a track, which gives you a good taste of what to expect, here. More information at www.facebook.com/howlsofebb, www.i-voidhanger.com