Canada’s Phobocosm deliver pure blackened atmosphere across the churning death metal of Gateway.
Release date: November 28, 2025 | Dark Descent Records | Bandcamp | Instagram
Break out your good torch and take a few deep breaths; we’re going deep in the caves for this one.
Ever since I got into death metal a decade and a half ago, one of the most reliable scenes within the genre has always been the dark, murky end of the genre. You know, those kinds of bands where riffs and leads melt into a pitch-black morass that just feels tangible and suffocating, and the drumming and vocals feel more like a flow of magma spilling out into the night. Canada’s Phobocosm has long been one of that sound’s most dedicated practitioners, and since I never spent too much time with them before, I figured the release of Gateway was a good moment to catch up and see what the buzz was about.
Phobocosm‘s approach on Gateway, admittedly, is what one may expect from that old ‘caverncore’ label. Churning guitars that tend more towards grimy texture than bouncy riffs, subterranean bass and growls, and consistently pummeling drums. Much of the album operates at a deliberate tempo beyond a few flights into sheer speed. But from the first moments, it has to be said: Phobocosm are masters of crafting atmosphere. The slow bleed-in of ringing guitars that inaugurate opener “Deathless” feels like a shadowy fog rolling straight from the speakers to envelop whatever hapless listener stands in its path. As much as their style is rooted in down and dirty death metal, Gateway feels as mordant and haunting as any black metal album could ever hope to be, and I genuinely loved that about the album.
This commitment to mood though, ultimately, proves to be a little bit of a double-edged sword for Phobocosm. Because at first listen, I struggled a little bit to pick out true highlights. Opener “Deathless” is admittedly a great intro to the album, feeling bleak and desolate in its sepulchral tumult, and sets the mood perfectly. Deeper into the album, “Sempiternal Penance” and the weighty “Beyond the Threshold of Flesh” have a great sense of flow, building between dirge-like stomps and blasting aggression. I especially found myself liking the “Corridor” trio of interludes, where the band leans more into both dissonance and (dare I say it?) melody. They work wonderfully to tie together the longer tracks while also providing several of my favorite instrumental moments along Gateway‘s surprisingly concise runtime.
The other edge of the sword, though, is that several listens on, I can’t really point to particular moments across the album that I’d find running through my head at random. Phobocosm does weave some cool tremolo lines into their songwriting, and there are grooves to be found. But between the thick production and sheer force of the band, plus their commitment to feel above all, Gateway can feel like you’re scrambling in the dark sometimes if you’re not giving it your full attention. It’s a punishing listen, one that doesn’t give listeners too much option but to let go and be swept away in its current. And as much as the band is nailing that sound with aplomb, it also isn’t the sort of approach that latches itself to the memory very often.
Frankly, though, I’m going to chalk that up to being more of a ‘me’ problem. This type of blackened, cavernous death metal is an oddly well-trodden genre, but Phobocosm is doing it great justice on Gateway. It occurred to me on a late listen that I’d consider Gateway a bit of a ‘cavernous death metal concentrate’. It’s a pure take on the genre, which doesn’t burden itself with any bells and whistles that could distract from the utterly deathly atmosphere they craft. For some, that may be a bit too bitter to swallow, but if you’re seeking death metal with all emphasis on ‘death’, Phobocosm will likely be just your cup of (black) coffee.
