Ah, the first review of the year. A chance to reinvent and set the tone. Fitting, then, that the spot goes to a band also in the process of reinvention, and one I’ve been a fan of for a long while now. Sao Paolo, Brazil’s Fossilization return with Advent of Wounds, a second full-length album but with a new lineup and new perspectives on songwriting in tow.

There are a handful of bands that I can take pride in saying I got in on the ground floor for, and Fossilization are one of them. From the minute I heard their initial demo, He Whose Was Long Forgotten, the ichorous and gloomy riffs found a permanent crevice in my brain to live in. It’s the perfect kind of death metal for me: murky, a little doomy, full of atmosphere but never in want of riffs. A split with Ritual Necromancy and the duo’s first full-length Leprous Daylight only kept things interesting to me, each a little bit more polished than its predecessor. Then in 2024, drummer P. exited the band, a move that would complicate things for most acts, but for a duo means losing 50% of your creative input. However, guitarist/bassist/vocalist V. used the departure as an opportunity to shake up the songwriting process.

Without a familiar rhythm section to write for, nothing was left off the table, and Advent of Wounds shines from the addition of fresh ideas. While still leaning on the classic mix of modern, cavernous death metal and early 90’s Peaceville doom mix that I fell in love with in the first place, more black metal influences are present than ever before, giving new angles to the aggression presented here. The incorporation of dissonant chord work sells the atmospheric nature of the music even more, and cements that this is indeed an atmosphere of dread. “Servo”, the midpoint of Advent and my personal pick for standout track, nails perfectly what it is that makes this new approach so successful. It’s at once cinematic and brutal, from the eerie, noisy intro to the riffs that follow.

Advent of Wounds is a phenomenal way to start off my 2026. In rebuilding their sound from a place of loss, Fossilization may have given me my favorite album in a discography that has already been solid gold. May the same energy find everyone else trying to find their creative spark from a similar place.

– Vincent

---

Advent of Wounds is out now through Everlasting Spew Records. For more information on Fossilization, check out the band’s Facebook page.