EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE: Eternal Conscious Punishment

Every Thought Captive
Eternal Conscious Punishment
(Broken Curfew Records)

This semi-melodic death metal EP contains three songs: Eternal, Conscious, and
Punishment. For those who haven’t picked up on the reference, those three words refer
to a classic/traditional view of hell. Does that mean that this is a conceptual release
based around the theme of hell? Let’s dig in and find out.

“Eternal” opens up with some slightly chaotic and intensely rhythmic riffing before
settling into a nice melodic death metal groove. Dang, that riff at around the 30-second
mark is incredibly satisfying! The overall feel reminds me of European bands like In
Vain and perhaps later era Carcass with vocals that vacillate between black metal-
inspired raspy growls and harsh, deeper death metal growls (not guttural). This song
has many movements to it, from the brutal heaviness of the opening riff to the slower,
acoustic and atmospheric interludes later. Lyrically, the song is actually a worship song,
rather than a depiction of hell, and yet it contrasts God’s eternality with our temporal
limits as humans.

Eternal Lord of all
Through bliss or flame
We’ll extol your mighty name
Confined in time
All will decay
Chronology beyond our reach
Eternal Lord of all
Through bliss or flame
We’ll extol your mighty name

The song also features a guitar solo by famed Christian metal alum Derek Corzine
(Blood Thirsty, Bloodline Severed, Burial Extraction).

“Conscious” continues the musical and lyrical themes that we’ve seen starting to
emerge. Musically, there are heavy, crushing riffs juxtaposed by acoustic and melodic
sections. However, on this track it starts out with the slower, subdued sections before
building with intensity. The track also features tactfully placed keyboards, trumpet, and
flugelhorn. While that sounds bizarre in a death metal album, it works incredibly well
here, especially on this much slower song at a doom metal pace. Lyrically, we are
seeing the contrast between the sinfulness of humanity and the glory of Christ.

Are you even conscious?
Are you even aware?
Turn from a nebulous life clothed in vanity
Seek salvation beyond depraved humanity
Revive holiness through the renewal of your mind
By adhering to what has been stated and defined

The plea for repentance also comes with a stern warning to those who seek to live a
truly godless life:

You’ll get what you’re asking for
And you’ll reap what you sow
You’ll get what you’re asking for
And you’ll reap what you sow

So it appears the EP does have a theme on hell, but not in the way I first thought,
judging by the title alone. The lyrical theme in this song actually reminds me of a
famous C.S. Lewis quote, from his book The Great Divorce, which the band seem to be
referencing in the lyric above:

“There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “Thy will be done,”
and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.” All that are in Hell, choose it.
Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly
desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. Those who knock it is opened.”

“Punishment” is the final song and is a sort of middle way from the brutality of the
opening song and the more subdued second track. The three songs on the EP run
together really nicely (again similar to mainstream band In Vain). It is here on this track
that the theme of hell becomes most acutely pronounced.

Helpless
Shadows
Mangled
Cast down
Righteous
Judgment
Decreed
Everlasting blaze
Every tongue
Will confess
Jesus Christ
Is the King of Kings

This is an incredibly powerful (but short) slab of melodic death metal. With hints of
doom and progressive metal, and some very minor hints at black metal, there is a lot to
like here for fans of various extreme metal genres. This is one of the best produced and
best written Christian metal releases I’ve heard in a long time. Even if wanted to debate
their stance on hell, which it’s not our place to get into here, they’ve created an
incredible piece of art and made a strong faith statement regarding the worthiness and
glory of Christ. It’s very rare for me to do this, and as far as I can remember, I’ve only
done this twice before in all my years of reviewing, but I’m giving this release a perfect 5
out of 5 stars.

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