At The Heart Of The World – Quaquaversal

Downed Star

I’ve been hooked on the Portland, Oregon, death-industrial duo At The Heart Of The World since their debut EP, Rotting Forms, in 2018. The black-and-neon-green color scheme that anchors almost all of their releases certainly channels Type O Negative. However, the music couldn’t be further, focusing more on driving, rhythmic instrumentals and Godflesh-like guitars than romantic, gothic doom metal ballads.

Their first and, so far, only full-length album, Reaching Perfection, Tasting Death, was released almost two full years later, and they’ve been sporadically churning out a collection of tight EPs since then, culminating into the anthology compilation All Torments Are Just in 2023. Last month marked the surprise release of their newest offering, the dizzyingly titled Quaquaversal EP, cementing them as one of modern EBM’s (electronic body music) greatest torchbearers.

“Not Worth Having” kicks the EP off in full force, landing somewhere between The Land Of Rape And Honey-era Ministry and the melodic side of UK underground industrial heroes <PIG>. That musical focus carries throughout the release, as does the religiously subversive lyrics. Vocalist and co-instrumentalist Danny Porter shouts in the second verse, “An eternity without your love is not worth having / When my flesh and heart fail, I’ll fear not death nor damnation / To live without your love has been my judgment / There will be no more prayers in here, nor dreams of salvation.”

“Licking The Face Of God” follows with synth patches that sound like a corroded N64 cartridge, leaning just a bit more aggressive than its predecessor. The band’s balance of distorted screamed vocals with cleanly sung refrains is expertly composed, reflecting genre pioneers like KMFDM or Skinny Puppy, but fit in just as well with current artists like 3TEETH or Code Orange. The closer “Heaven Is No More” slows things down but remains just as crushing, with ATHOTW’s other half, Josh Greene, delivering a plotting, tense instrumental under Porter’s fierce vocal performance. “I can’t feel at home in this body anymore / The wounds may heal, but the flesh won’t forget,” he states with uncompromising volume and aggression.

Quaquaversal is just one more excellent notch in the ATHOTW discography. With no space for breathing room, it rips through its runtime so efficiently that it demands the use of the replay button. The band continues to operate at such a high caliber within only three tracks, always showcasing a taste of where they’re going next, creating high anticipation for wherever the group goes next.