Visions From Beyond - Portal To Inertia

Labels: Brutal Cave Productions/Dry Cough Records/Self-Released

Formats: CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 02 Jun 2023

Tracklist:

1. The Crossing

2. Portal To Inertia

3. Second Sight

4. Into Hell

Portal To Inertia is the second and latest EP to come from Bristolian (UK) death/doom entity Visions From Beyond (if you don't count the debut demo that is). It was released digitally by the band in June of last year, while at the same time seeing a CD release via Portuguese label Brutal Cave Productions, alongside a tape pressing from the ever-dependable UK death/doom label Dry Cough Records. I can't remember whether I've mentioned this before but the sole member of Visions From Beyond also forms part of grindcore trio Fetus Christ (and is also a member of new death metal band Ritual Execution, which has recently released it's first tape via Dry Cough).

It’s been a lot of fun tracking the trajectory of Visions From Beyond since the band’s 2021 demo Eternally Bound, Whipped By Time. Grabbing the latest EP Portal To Inertia last year and jamming it alongside other (Dry Cough approved) UK death/doom bands has been an absolute joy. It feels like it’s been an age but I feel it’s time to write about these four tracks properly. 

Starting with ‘The Crossing’, Visions From Beyond deliver raw and hellish death metal with a huge helping of funeral doom for good measure. There’s always a limitation to being a solo project but it doesn’t hold Visions From Beyond back at all here. Gnarly yet oddly cosmic extreme metal more than hints at what’s to come.

The EP’s title-track ‘Portal To Inertia’ is all blasts and mesmeric guitar work, coupled with disturbingly low guttural vocals. Additional progressive lead guitar flutters amongst the heaviness, providing something close to relief. ‘Second Sight’ delivers at a much slower tempo to begin with, as if it’s paying tribute to the early Dry Cough output of sickening doom/sludge. The instrumentation takes absolute control throughout the song’s four+ minute playing time, as the vocals resemble some kind of sporadically tortured beast from another realm.

Leaving the best till last, Visions From Beyond delivers a near eight-minute monolith called ‘Into Hell’, which is very aptly named. The bass guitar provides such a rumbling low-end that it’s hard for the rest of the instrumentation to keep up (which is a strange thing to say given the slowness), but you’ll get what I mean as you get deeper into it. Subtle vocals, exquisite percussion and whale song-like lead guitar textures call time on what is a harrowing yet euphoric body of work.

I’ve already written plenty of positive words about Visions From Beyond here and this EP proves why that’s the case. For me, it’s important to support and encourage bands that are starting out, looking to build an audience of their own. I can’t wait to continue following the journey and if you’re new to Visions From Beyond, get on board too.

You can stream and also buy Portal To Inertia on all three formats directly from Visions From Beyond below:-

Visions From Beyond - https://www.facebook.com/visionsfrombeyond.official

Physical copies are also available from the labels below:-

Brutal Cave Productions - https://brutalcaveproductions.bandcamp.com/album/portal-to-inertia

Dry Cough Records - https://www.drycoughrecords.com/product/visions-from-beyond-portal-to-inertia-cassette-dc71

Beutal Cave Productions - https://www.facebook.com/brutalcaveproductions

Dry Cough Records - https://www.facebook.com/DryCoughRecords

Visions From Beyond - Drawing Down The Darkness

Labels: Dry Cough Records

Formats: Tape/CD/Digital

Release Date: 01 Nov 2021

Tracklist:

1. Re-animator

2. Drawing Down The Darkness

3. Confronting The Adversary

4. Lord Of Flies

It's been a while now since I reviewed the debut EP Eternally Bound, Whipped By Time from Bristolian death/doom band Visions From Beyond. I said in that review that I was also going to write about the band's second EP Drawing Down The Darkness, which was also released in 2021. I'm a man of my word and here it is, albeit slightly later than planned. Tape copies were pressed on limited quantities via UK label Dry Cough Records in November of 2021.

This review was supposed to be posted on Monday evening but the heatwave happened. It’s marginally cooler tonight so I’m going with it. I’m sure there will be some you who’re already familiar with Bristol’s death/doom entity Visions From Beyond, but if not then you can start here. ‘Re-Animator’ immediately sounds doomier and much more oppressive, thanks to the lower-than-low vocals. The lead guitar brings some light but it’s only a brief ray. The band’s own bandcamp page contains a description that calls it harrowing and I wouldn’t disagree with that. The EP’s title track ‘Drawing Down The Darkness’ is a slow build, letting dark and menacing atmospherics take the lead before it lurches into a lengthier song that’s much more deathly in it’s delivery. The darkness well and truly manifests itself here. 

‘Confronting The Adversary’ demonstrates just how oppressive and close death/doom can be (just like the temperature this evening, which is a combination of the heat coming from laptop and the close pre-thunderstorm heat outside). Us Brits are never happy unless we’re complaining about something! I’m not complaining about the music though, as it’s stellar. EP closer ‘Lord Of Flies’ is another lumbering hymn that catches you off guard slightly with it’s off-kilter instumentation and tempos. It’s, dare I say it, almost progressive in nature. That’s absolutely fine though as progression is nothing but a good thing for me. This song highlights the musical ability of Visions From Beyond even more so than is expected. Subtle elements of Cynic and even Atheist make themselves known towards it’s conclusion.

Despite the fact that I’m currently melting, Drawing Down The Darkness has been a comforting and exciting listen that’s made me forget about the heat. Visions From Beyond laid down two proper markers in 2021 and has shown a developing sound that offers a lot of promise. Here’s to the next.

For fans of: Cynic, Universally Estranged, Eye Of Purgatory, Solothus and Warning

You can stream and purchase Drawing Down The Darkness for super cheap digitally below:-

Visions From Beyond - https://www.facebook.com/visionsfrombeyond.official

Unbelievably, tape copies are still available from Dry Cough Records below:-

https://www.drycoughrecords.com/product/visions-from-beyond-drawing-from-the-darkness-cassette-dc50

Dry Cough Records - https://www.facebook.com/DryCoughRecords

Visions From Beyond - Eternally Bound, Whipped By Time

Labels: Dry Cough Records/Sodden Records

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 28 Jan 2021

Tracklist:

1. Sodden Species

2. Psychotic Possession

3. Ancient Dreams

4. Slave To The Reptant Cannibals

If you've been following the blog recently, you'll have seen my reviews of tape releases featuring Engraved, Sewer Fiend and Plague Patrol that were all released via Dry Cough Records last year. Well, there's plenty more where they came from as Dry Cough has been on (and indeed still is on) a pretty stellar run of death/doom releases, which I've been steadily ordering and enjoying over recent months. Bristol based death/doom band Visions From Beyond had it's debut EP Eternally Bound, Whipped By Time released by the label back in June 2021, having already been available digitally via both the band and Sodden Records since January 2021. It proved to be a very popular release with two extra tape runs coming after the initial run (only four copies from the third run are available to pick up directly from Visions From Beyond).

Visions From Beyond is a solo project of mammoth death/funeral doom proportions, which has links to Fetus Christ too. EP opener ‘Sodden Species’ is mired in old-school death metal that contains a heap of murkiness. The instrumentation here is really striking. The drums sound very analog/unfussy, while the bass guitar is very intricate. The melodic lead guitar is haunting and uneasy at times, while the deep growls drag the atmosphere down to funeral doom depths.

I can understand why this release has proven so popular. The uncluttered recording and production allow each instrument clear space to be heard. ‘Psychotic Possession’ is slightly more minimalist to my ears, with some very subtle similarities to Slimelord’s Moss Contamination in parts, if you’ve listened to that release.

How these songs fit together on the EP has cleary been well thought through, as is demonstrated on ‘Ancient Dreams’. The vocals sit slightly deeper in the mix here and are delivered as semi-whispered growls, letting the low-end driven music to come to the fore. The use of nicely placed atmospheric melody adds an extra element too, lifting the mood.

EP closer ‘Slave To The Reptant Cannibals’ draws on all of the instrumental prowess delivered by Visions From Beyond, wrapping it up in a package that even Cynic would be proud of. The guitar work leads the way one last time and all to quickly it’s over. I’d go as far to say that this debut could go down as a timeless classic within UK death/doom. I can’t wait to write about the band’s second release Drawing Down The Darkness at a later date.

FFO: Cynic, Mortuary Spawn, Slimelord, Solothus & Warning

You can stream and purchase Eternally Bound, Whipped By Time digitally and on tape (but be quick!) below:-

Dry Cough Records have sold out of tape copies.

Visions From Beyond - https://www.facebook.com/visionsfrombeyond.official

Dry Cough Records - https://www.facebook.com/DryCoughRecords