Pedestal for Leviathan – Enter: Vampyric Manifestation

Metalcatto

It’s almost time for Halloween, and I think we’re all trying to find a decent release that fits the mood. I got a random promo from Pedestal for Leviathan for Enter: Vampyric Manifestation, and while these promos don’t usually get much attention, the band sent me a FLAC file—and that always merits respect. Enter: Vampyric Manifestation is what happens when Dying Fetus and Dimmu Borgir have a child together (so, I guess in this case the fetus made it through—yay!). I know it sounds disgusting, but I’m here to tell you to hold on and keep reading.

Enter is somehow strange, and I don’t mean that in some avant-garde way. The album isn’t a complicated atonal mess, but it feels bizarre and yet refreshing, like getting old-school Tomb Mold with 90s Black Metal synths. This shouldn’t be enjoyable, but Pedestal for Leviathan manages to create something interesting and surprisingly appropriate. It has a gothic, Castlevania-like touch, but it doesn’t lose the brutality of Death/Grind. So, we finally get something melodramatic that’s not Cradle of Filth corny. The artwork gives off that Black Metal vibe, but you’ll mostly find that style in spirit more than in form.

The vocals are straight out of a Grindcore album—sick, distorted, and feral. There are heavy breakdowns that could easily feel monotonous, but Enter, with its eerie synth moments, adds just enough atmosphere to keep things engaging. The production is also surprisingly decent. It would’ve been easier to make something polished and loud, but once again, Pedestal for Leviathan stays in a retro, grimy territory. The tracks last about as long as your last job, which is uncommon since bands with so many “orchestral” elements (read: one guy going nuts on keyboards) tend to overstay their welcome.

Still, this is the musical equivalent of eating spicy chocolate—it might be a total success or make you want to drink water from the toilet seat. It’s an album that requires some openness to appreciate. Fans of brutal breakdowns might shy away from anything this melodic, while goths might feel it hits too hard—they already took their fair share of beatings in high school. For me, the only real issue is that Enter doesn’t have many tracks that stand out individually. It’s an album that works better as a whole than as a collection of separate songs, though a few more epic moments wouldn’t have hurt.

Either way, I shouldn’t be too harsh on a band that’s genuinely trying to do something different—and successfully surprise my stoic cat face while I write this. Pedestal for Leviathan is definitely a band to keep an eye on. If the latest Hooded Menace album wasn’t scary enough for you, then Enter: Vampyric Manifestation is exactly what you should be blasting next Halloween when those annoying kids come to blackmail you for candy.

Label: Independent

Release date: October 31, 2025

Website: https://pedestalforleviathan.bandcamp.com/album/festering-apparition

Country: USA

Score: 3.5/5.0