Arkhum – Universum

Releasedate: 15-02-2011; Label: Vendlus Records
By: Sabine van Gameren

The American band Arkhum has been formed in 2007. The bring Blackened Death Metal and their debut album “Anno Universum” is out now.

Apperantly the band had some serious trouble with finding a decent drummer, they tried quite some before Armen Koroghlian was added to the lineup. His addition stays quite backwards in the mix though. More focus goed to the technical riffs coming the guitarists and the vocals that have the tendency to core, a slight difference to the ordinary stuff. The ‘Blackened’ can be found in some screams that every once and a while pop up as well. Various vocal styles, not at all point being the best combination but it does bring a bit of difference. The songs have not always a clear start and an ending, nor they flow into each other easily. The variance of the songs makes it a bit of a collection album, instead of it being brought as one piece that suits together.
When you can appreciate some technical material and feel enough adventurous to explore those vocal styles with this, it might be worth to try. This album is not one that will be widely loved, it is too characteristic for that.

Line Up:
Kenneth Parker – Vocals
Stephen Parker – Guitar, Vocals
Kyle Jendrisak – Guitar
Matt Edwards – Bass, Vocals
Armen Koroghlian – Drums

Tracklist: 01.Appellation 02.Grief Urchin 03.Obviated Geocentrism 04.Obsolescent Husk 05.Bloodgutter Encircling 06.Officious Hoverer At L-Point 2 07.Nilpulse 08.Expendable Biomass

Links:
Arkhum MySpace