Ceterum - Fathom review

Year : 2011
Genre : Alternative Metal Math Metal with Djent elements
Label : Independent
Origin : United States
Rating : 9.3 / 10

There are two immediate confessions that I have to make in this review : 1. I am not familiar with the music of Tool, 2. a good amount of Internet people - no one knows if those are real ones - claim that Ceterum's music sounds-, behaves a whole lot like that of Tool. Now that this recognition has been revealed, let's concentrate on the character of the music, which surely is something delicate to behold.

Ceterum sounds to be passionately disinterested of such classic elements of music as traditional time and orthodox song structures. Everything is permitted, even encouRAGED, if the results compliment the tall order of music that as easy and pleasant to grasp unto as hardly it seeks to elegantly and efficiently throw you off of its back.The rhythm work herein comes to you through intentionally and adeptly warped time signatures that are the magnificent workings of a steadily deranged cultist who seeks to master the Ultimate Doomsday Device 24/7 - and yes, you want to hear the music manufactured by such entity - and the resultant stimuli sounds to me as a more colorful take on the audio data Swedish Vildhjarta may have tried to do with their latest album that exhibits some similar basic characteristics to this one. I'm referring to the rhythmic work, exclusively. (Though I must say that recently I do discover some magical moments on the Vildhjarta album, but not as much as if I would find two times as many on it as I actually do.)

Ceterum's debut of 58 ripe and relentless odd music knows and tolerates no remote reminder of a filler or alibi build. The release is one raging, robust piece of constant sonic punishment, and it will kick your ass to hell and back. Read on to find out how.


Fathom is one debut that manages to keep its form intact all the way, always delivering what it does via simultaneous power, invention and efficiency. The central field of operations the release invites the stimuli into existence from is a submissive reliance on the supremely warped time signature as Entity, and the reason that this is working is none other than the mere tools of sonic ultramass-destruction the release compliments these hacked variants of time with. As for the speed, the debut shows a little bit above-mid-tempo temper throughout : the pacing never comes to a crawl, nor it emerges to claim the anti-diadem of a rocket powered world war tank that is about to end all wars. The tempo always is of such pacing that the fabric of the truly special rhythmic patterns emerge both as a pleasant challenge and a rewarding trait to relate to, to immerse yourself into.

Topple this beautifully erratic rhythmic behavior with a solid grasp of harmonic spellcasting, heavily fixated on the darker side of the related art. The guitars are mean, down tuned, dangerously flattered by a fat bass of genuine vile intent, and the resultant "wholesound" maintains a firm understanding of the most successful capacities it has at its disposal, keeping it away steadily from making bad decisions like going for the furious tempo for the mere sake of mispositioned variation. Once again, the release is more of an upper-mid-tempo admission of proper love resonated to a warped sense of dire time, supported by a vocal language that wisely satisfies as a passenger on-, as a complimenter of the ultramass the instrumental section rumbles through the listener as. This is not to say that the release lacks significant vocal offerings, quite the contrary : I especially am content with the choruses, - can't find anything wrong with the verses, either - it only is worth pointing out that the vocal presence of the record sounds to have a sober faithfulness to its life-giver harmonies, never seeking to stray away from those on a miscalculated attempt to deliver autonomously without the consent of the singularity-grade Master harmonies.

One thing I also am quite trustily happy and humpty dory about is the complete absence of mouth corner twitcher metalcore aspirations. Ceterum's debut is one of tremendous surprise power on the positive register, as the album never comes short of ideas safe and worthy to present, which enables them to stay away from sniffing shit around the saggy hide of family friendly metalcore. If you want to hear music with a whole lot of quality relevance going on through monstrous super-rhythms and cleverly restrained-, but powerful melodies, then obtaining this release for the listening enjoyment of your neighbors, your loved ones and yourself, is : mandatory.

Rating : 9.3 / 10

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