Vanta – Perpetual Selection album review by Mark. J. Cinematic horror show that actually has brains, balls, and zero nostalgia wank.

 

Vanta – Perpetual Selection (Perth melodic death metal, self-released)

Vanta – Perpetual Selection (Perth melodic death metal, self-released debut full-length)

Perth's just unleashed a proper beast with Perpetual Selection – a cinematic, concept-driven slab that dives deep into cosmic horror, twisted mythology, and dystopian sci-fi without ever letting the heaviness take a backseat. These lads treat melodeath like it's still got teeth, fusing the raw aggression and groove of modern American death metal with the soaring, folk-tinged melodic sway of early Euro stuff – think In Flames meets The Black Dahlia Murder brutality, but laced with blackened edges and deathcore breakdowns that hit like a sledgehammer to the skull. The stunning opener Empty Shells starts slow and atmospheric, building this eerie tension before erupting into pummeling riffs and blast chaos; there's a bit of meandering in the middle where the guitars stretch out, but it snaps back hard and leaves you gasping. From there, the album doesn't let up – it's dynamic, precise, and vicious as fuck.

The evil really ramps up across the tracklist: Sandstalker blasts in with razor-sharp speed and groove that makes your neck whip involuntarily, while "Kuyang" delivers sharper, faster riffs dripping with Black Dahlia snap and unhinged velocity – those solos and melodic counterpoints soar but stay mean. Drown and Sacred Light tread that razor line between blackened death fury and deathcore heft, with atmospheric drops that give way to ferocious breakdowns and tortured roars. Then Alchemy (and its killer symbolic video) collides everything into one razor-edged monster – blast-driven urgency, technical snap, and massive groove that nods to Winds of Plague extremity without losing the narrative punch. Stillwater shifts gears into technical death precision with blackened edges, high-powered assaults that feel measured yet overwhelming, and Transmorcide keeps the aggression rolling with sheer velocity and atmosphere. Closer Purity seals it with emotional weight amid the chaos – no boring lulls, no safe plays, just relentless exploration of humanity's darkest instincts.

This DIY trio (everything from production to those haunting, symbolic clips for Empty Shells, Kuyang, and Alchemy) built something ambitious that balances technical brutality, melodic hooks, and conceptual depth without ever sounding pretentious. It's modern melodeath done with brains and balls – precision riffing, soaring leads, blackened frost, deathcore breakdowns, and folkish melody all crashing together in a dystopian nightmare you can actually mosh to. If you're burnt out on nostalgia-bait or watered-down shit, Vanta just raised the fucking bar for Australian extreme metal. This is the kind of debut that makes the underground take notice and the pit open wide. Absolute ripper of an evil masterpiece. 9.5/10 severed myths.

https://vantametalofficial.bandcamp.com/album/perpetual-selection

https://www.instagram.com/vantametalofficial/

WATCH THIS:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNEE_w3NutI