As if strapped to an operating table, drilled through the skull and tortured relentlessly, Candarian from San José, Costa Rica attempt to release the paranoia and break the grip of “possession” through their heavy but measured debut full-length. Although Trepanación starts with a clear intent for raw violence, there’s a balance through its brief and focused approach to old school death metal. With groove at the start, relentless in the middle and darker in its final part, the album leaves a “sick” but addictive impression.
Candarian started around 2020 as a duo by guitarist Christopher De Haan (Age Of The Wolf, Crypt Monarch etc.) and bassist/singer José Pablo Phillips (Astriferous, Perishing), based on their shared love for horror and gore aesthetics, inspired by the death metal of the early ’90s. They soon became a quartet, adding members from De Haan’s project Sorewound, and began working on tracks that ended up on the demo Stagnant Livor Mortis (2022). That demo had a “heavier” and more underground sound, which somewhat hid their vitality, but it was clear they were aiming for a simple, heavy sound with strong grooves and influences from bands like Incantation and Master.
With Trepanación, the band chooses a clean and direct approach to old school death metal, without much experimentation. This means there isn’t much personality in their sound, but there’s a clear goal: raw, direct violence with an aesthetic that recalls the genre’s 1993–1995 period. It doesn’t reach the chaos and intensity of a record like The Bleeding, though. Instead, many tracks rely on slower tremolo riffs, which give rhythm and “breathing room” to the whole. “Altars And Ancestors” shows this direction, with tempo changes and riffs that work perfectly for moshing too.
The opening with “Spectral Superstitions” and “Altars And Ancestors” shows the record’s big, “full” sound from early on. Despite the clean mix, the guitars are heavy and “drill” into the head, creating an oppressive atmosphere. At first the riffs are a little simple, but tracks like “Zombie Miscarriage” raise the level, with a more technical approach and better flow. The vocals are equally heavy, with echo and intensity that stand beside the guitars without getting lost.
“Skull Drilling Exorcism” is perhaps the strongest track on the record and the peak of the barbarity the band wants to achieve. Although the samples at the start and end don’t add much, the track has dynamic grooves and intensity that fits perfectly with its subject matter (trepanation as a “cure” for madness or demonic possession). The only negative is the lack of sharp solos, something generally missing from the record that could have given more intensity.
The second half of Trepanación also shows a slower, darker side of the band. “Relinquished Víscera” stands out with its doom feel, while the final track “Vilipendio Del Cadaver” (about 8 minutes) closes the record with a heavier and more atmospheric approach, differentiating it from the first half.
If you give the record a little time and don’t judge it from the first listen, you’ll understand that it’s a very well-crafted work. It’s not something groundbreaking, but it’s focused, “cut and sewn” to do what it should: clean, effective death metal.
