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This year could end up being remembered by many things, but if there\u2019s any justice in the world, one of those things will be big, groovy, stanky<\/em> riffs. From the cosmic dealings of Teeth<\/strong> and Blood Incantation<\/strong> to the earth-shattering antics of Fit For an Autopsy<\/strong>, 2019 was filled with tones and compositions that made the most out of death metal\u2019s predilection for mass and a feeling of unstoppable momentum. On Emanations of Desolation<\/em>, Sun Worship<\/strong> throw themselves into contention for most filthy sound, melding their death metal underpinnings with plenty of black metal to keep things especially abrasive and overwhelming. The result is an album which hits and hits hard, constantly picking at your ears with bigger and bigger chords.<\/p>\n To make sure we stay attentive, Sun Worship also throw in plenty of compositional antics, like repeating riffs and themes. On the first three proper tracks of the album, \u201cVoid Conqueror\u201d, \u201cDevoured\u201d, and the amazingly named \u201cTorched Reversed\u201d, a main riffs reoccurs throughout. It is first introduced on \u201cVoid Conqueror\u201d, ringing in from the beginning of the track. Here it is at its most blackened, furious chords blending with alarming speed into the break-neck blastbeats that up the background of the track. The vocals, guttural and low, add to the otherworldly and oppressive feeling of the track, making \u201cVoid Conqueror\u201d a powerful and resolute opening salvo to the trio of tracks. In the middle of the track we can hear the first permutation of the main riffs, breaking in for a bar or two, before the track continues its onslaught. This permutation returns on \u201cDevoured\u201d, about one minute and a half in. Here, it doesn\u2019t stick around for two bars but rather informs most of the track\u2019s approach to the riff. Things are still blackened but a fair deal of groove has been introduced into the mix.<\/p>\n By the time \u201cTorch Reversed\u201d comes back to this common riff, around the six minute mark, things are already in high heat. The drums become more agile, gilding their main expression with plenty of cymbal work. The riff then mutates into the crescendo of the track, bringing back the black metal influences and ushering off this trio of punishingly accurate tracks. These permutations and tweaks of the same riff and its role within the different tracks keeps us hooked and attentive, our ears perking at the \u201cstrange familiar\u201d, something we know but can now hear in a different setting. Nor does the album let up on this idea from there; whether on the epic \u201cCoronation\u201d or the somewhat more droning \u201cSoul Harvester\u201d, Emanations of Desolation<\/em> is all about the intricacies of what lies beneath and what can be gleaned from between the abrasive, bleak, and aggressive exterior of the track\u2019s structure.<\/p>\n The fact that the album also manages to be unbelievably heavy at the same time as its makes these more elaborate gestures is perhaps the album\u2019s most endearing quality. It means the album serves a dual purpose: like many of the death metal albums of 2019, it can be listened to first for its complexity and arrangement, playing interesting games with the basic formula of its genre. But it can also be consumed as a more \u201cstraight up\u201d experience, scratching that itch that only the most pronounced, heavy, and unapologetic death metal can scratch. Whether you\u2019re looking to sink into a rich musical tapestry or just feel the power of well made metal coursing through your veins, add Emanations of Desolation<\/em> to your rotation. You won\u2019t regret it.<\/p>\n