Formed between various folks kicking around the Dayton, Ohio-area extreme metal circles (Moiscus, ex-Acheron, Flesh Warfare) for the last ten or so years, ‘old school’ death/doom metal influenced quartet Borboropsis manage a fine approximation of classic death metal’s most irreverently surreal extremes in the early-to-mid 90’s on this their debut EP, ‘Decorticated Burial of Delirium‘. The muse here is plainly stated as the elder gods whom were most ahead of their time circa ~1993, specifically the spacious avant-garde thunder from Disembowelment and the somewhat more traditional cerebrum of Dusk and this is fitting enough in terms of categorization of general classicist forms defined. The three songs here otherwise do a fine job of combining the chaotic creep of Finnish death influenced death/doom metal a la earlier Bloodsoaked Necrovoid‘s patiently suspenseful movements as well as Spectral Voice‘s knack for barreling deep, mid-paced pieces that thrive in their own cryptic ‘riff pocket’. That isn’t to say that there isn’t a masterful study of the ancients here but that the resonance of each riff is far from anxiety-ridden post-‘Lost Paradise’ brutality we might find on the first Ceremonium album, it is a modern implication of classic death/doom tone and presence rather than the old standards of presentation. The end result is an album that is far more patient in its advance than the suggested influences might infer, it is much more of an ‘extreme doom’ experience compared to the status quo and this justifies the overwhelmingly deep resound of their production values.

This is a rare case where the delivery of the album being sub-par is overridden by my appreciation for the music in the sense that I’d been sent this record without the third song, “Decortication | Delirium”, included and I didn’t hear it until much later in the process of review. A rare mistake and one that’d usually just prompt that I move on but, either way you’ll understand why I’d stuck with the EP and also why this is a crucial oversight; The major highlight of the release is in fact the 10+ minute finale of “Decortication | Delirium” where they’ve sped up, cranked out a few eerie solos, and made the case for their mountain of reverb-thicc sound at full bore. That final song is the payoff for the larger arc of the EP, providing a directional feeling to the otherwise meandering patience of the first two pieces. Is their sound ‘album ready’? For sure, there is more than just potential here in terms of sound/style as these guys are not just on the right track but well up to par. I’ll be lurking on ’em to see what differentiation develops next. My recommendation for this EP basically boils down to whether you’re looking for a unique death/doom metal sound or just something awe-inspiring — You won’t find anything off the charts original or particularly ‘signature’ within Borboropsis‘ sphere just yet but the spectacle and species that ‘Decorticated Burial of Delirium’ has to offer does have present some considerable value for death/doom metal heads. A moderately high recommendation.

Info:
ARTIST:	BORBOROPSIS
TITLE:	Decorticated Burial of Delirium
TYPE:	EP
LABEL(S):	Solitude Productions
RELEASE DATE:	August 20th, 2021
BUY & LISTEN:	Bandcamp
GENRE(S):	Death/Doom Metal

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