Review by Vladimir on November 8, 2023.

Death knocks on many doors, but how many of us would dare to open? If you wish to find out, stay tuned for today’s death-defying topic. The subject of this review will be covering a Venezuelan black metal one-man band Lvctvs and his third independent full-length album Sobredósis De Pensamiento Fúnebre, released on November 3rd, 2023. 

Everything begins with sounds of rainfall in pure somber autumn depression, until you suddenly hear the buzzsaw distorted guitars backed up with screeching and agonizing screams from the distance, where you will also hear some melancholic keyboards that contribute by adding an atmospheric flavor to this death-defying brew. On top of all the agony expressed through eerie guitar riffs and tormented vocals through every song, there are moments of catchy mid-tempo riffing and drumming, including occasional tremolo picking riffs and blast beats, which give the songs additional edge and dynamic songwriting. The only exception that this album has is the third track 'Heidegger O De La Muerte', which is two and a half minutes long and in terms of its execution in clean guitars and slow tempo drums, it’s a musical departure from the rest of the album but nonetheless a well-executed interlude that serves as a gateway to the closing track 'Me Hundo En Mi Ocaso'. The general songwriting is fairly simple depressive black metal with songs that last around 10 minutes (with the exception of the third track 'Heidegger O De La Muerte'), containing a variety of ideas that range from melancholic to horrifying. Although the output seems quite straightforward and easy to grasp, what is truly the highlight of this album and probably its quality work is the fact that every song is like a chapter that tells its own story, which slowly builds up all the way towards the moment where one embraces death. The lyrical theme of this album is a philosophical concept about death and the fact of thinking about that last moment that ends all existence, which is wonderfully presented with the macabre cover art. The sound production of this album is quite raw with its buzzsaw guitar sound that is backed up with distorted harsh screams, although I personally feel like the vocals could have been done a bit better in the overall mix/master process due to the added vocal distortion that is a bit over the top. 

Even though I am not a fan of DSBM in general, I quite liked this album’s execution from one song to another, especially since it feels like a 4-chapter story that does a good job at transcending that feeling of impending doom and the constant agonizing fear before dying. Lvctvs managed to combine emotion with atmosphere and the result of it is a work that really deserves to be noticed by DSBM fans all over the world. If you are indeed one brave soul that would open the door for the figure in black, then you will definitely like this album for its eerie macabre vibes mixed with melancholy. 

Rating: 8.1 out of 10