siLLy puPPy Joining the ranks of a new wave of space themed atmospheric black metal bands that adopt aspects of the world of death metal, Brazil’s ILLUMINATION formed in Rio de Janeiro in 2020 and released last year’s demo “Occult Science” which caught the attention of the Mexican label Personal Records and a year later ILLUMINATION debuts with its first EP titled WORSHIP DEATH MORE THAN LIFE.

Graced with wickedly cool cover art, WORSHIP DEATH MORE THAN LIFE embodies the frigid bleakness of the visual artistic expression with a depressive style of black metal made all the frostier with a bleak suffocating atmospheric backdrop. This EP of seven tracks clocks in at 27 1/2 minutes and features an excellent array of speed fueled jangly guitar chords plucked in full tremolo affect with blackened distortion and rampaging angst. The vocals however are somewhere in between the raspy world of black metal and the more guttural growls of death metal which makes this a distinct hybrid that doesn’t really sound totally at home in either genre.

Atmospheric excess is the name of the game for ILLUMINATION which works quite well in the world of oft monochromatic black metal. This EP is fueled with nice opening mood enhances including the 2 minute intermission “UY Scouti” and the closing “Dead Photons” which are short instrumentals that focus on the sonic terror of Luciferianism and sci-fi fantasies. “Thy Darkness” on the other hand does sound more like a black metal act with angry gurgled vocals in the vein of classic black metal acts like Immortal and a gazillion others. This band excels at both providing authentic black metal chops and nice ambient / atmospheric accompaniments.

What works so well about ILLUMINATION is that although it hasn’t branched off into its own subsection of the deathened black metal universe quite yet, it seems as if it could very well do so and each track is distinct thus providing the EP with the diversity of styles and sounds that is very much needed to make an enthralling listening experience. One of the highlights is “Venus Shukra” which features a typical black metal bleakness but is fueled by an anthemic folk metal musical scale but also adds interesting arpeggiated guitar sections, spoken word declarations and lots of ambient excursions before erupting into a Mayhem styled black metal rampage.

With the explosion of black metal acts in the last decade it’s hard to believe that this genre could spawn so many competent and dynamic acts but ILLUMINATION is yet another excellent band to enter the scene and also showcases Brazil’s ever growing relevance on the world’s stage by producing a whole slew of excellent bands in recent years. I love this one much more than i could’ve imagined and eagerly await the band’s full-length debut. WORSHIP DEATH MORE THAN LIFE may sound like a suicide pact but in a way it makes you wanna live if for no other reason than to hang out long enough to see what this band will produce next!