Critic's Notebook

Vampires, Demons and Werewolf Jesus: A Metal Debut to Remember

Pedestal for Leviathan will unleash its new album at the Crypt on Wednesday, October 22.

Courtesy Crippled Wings

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A new darkness dwelling in the High Plains announced itself on Monday, October 20, with a cryptic message.

“Having furthered the isolated winter journey toward the festering apparition, a vampyric manifestation appears in the blackened haze, quietly beckoning the weary traveler to enter,” reads a note in Gothic calligraphy. “Pedestal for Leviathan’s power builds as a corporeality grows in the Colorado mountains, practicing spellcraft and honing imbued blades.”

The death-laden black metal project of Kendrick Lemke will fully reveal itself on Halloween night, Friday, October 31, when Pedestal for Leviathan’s debut, Enter: Vampyric Manifestation, is finally unleashed. The first single, “Lycanthropichrist,” tells the tale of a monstrous martyr and is a mere taste of the horrors contained within the LP’s eight incantations.

“A lot of it is about vampires, or if Jesus Christ was a werewolf,” Lemke shares. “There are songs about conjuring demons, becoming a demon in hell. All evil, dark, medieval type of stuff.”

Pedestal for Leviathan achieves this level of auditory wickedness through an alchemy of symphonic black metal and brutal death metal, giving the group a sound that’s recognizable from the lowest dungeon to the highest peak. “I always had this idea of a heavier band that incorporated that style, symphonic blackened music like Cradle of Filth or Dimmu Borgir, but way heavier,” Lemke says. “I wanted to do a death metal band that still had the choir and orchestra.”

Originally a solo project, Lemke released a three-song EP, Festering Apparition, last year before diving back into crafting what would eventually become Enter: Vampyric Manifestation.

The nightmarish cover of Pedestal for Leviathan’s upcoming offering.

Courtesy Alexander Kemp

“I immediately started writing new stuff. I wanted to get a longer release out, but those three songs I was eager to get out at first. That was an intro to this whole idea that I had,” he explains, adding that a short run as a fill-in guitarist for Florida brutes Bodybox allowed him time to collect such dark thoughts.

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“I came home. It was winter. It was all frozen and snow-covered. The atmosphere was perfect for it, so I got right into writing,” Lemke continues. “The end game of what I’m trying to create is mostly the same, but I think I’ve gotten a little bit better at getting there.”

Pedestal for Leviathan grew, as he recruited similarly afflicted wraiths earlier this year to further bring his vision to life. Now, the group includes enchanter-guitarist Lemke, guitarist Mathew Meyer, bassist Noah Fithen and drummer Corbin Echtermeyer. The fallen four are readying for their first-ever live show on Wednesday, October 22, fittingly at the Crypt. Blindedfolded and Led to the Woods, Volcandra, and Oreyn are also on the bill.

The ritual is also the initial offering of Enter: Vampyric Manifestation. While Lemke can’t peek into a palantír beforehand, he believes Pedestal for Leviathan packs enough potency to resonate across scenes.

“I hope the death-metal fans will appreciate it for the riffs and the guitar and drum work. I think it aligns heavily with a death-metal style,” he says. “Even hardcore black-metal fans may enjoy it. That’s a little bit more of a gamble. Sometimes, the people who are just into black metal specifically are set in their ways with what they like and don’t like. I’d hope it still attracts the favor of straight-up black-metal fans.”

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For the record, Pedestal for Leviathan currently boasts 29 monthly listeners via Spotify. We know lower counts hold high regard in the trvest of kvlt circles. The band is also opening for Hulder, the wicked witch of black metal, during her Offerings To The Otherworld Denver date on November 11 at HQ.

Armed with a pair of Warlocks downtuned to Drop G (that’s about as low as a Balrog bellow), Lemke weaves sagas of cursed objects, afterlife banishment and goblin pursuits throughout Enter: Vampyric Manisfestation, a release that only seeks to spread the Pedestal for Leviathan shadow.

And Lemke is only growing stronger with Pedestal or his other three active bands — Fatalist, Disgustingest and athousandangelsandseven.

“Making music, creating it and being able to play it live for people is something that’s been really important to me ever since I was a teenager,” he concludes. “But this is the busiest I’ve ever been.”

Heed this as a warning. Now fly, you fools!

Pedestal for Leviathan, with Blindfolded and Led to the Woods, Volcandra and Oreyn, 7 p.m. Wednesday, October 22, the Crypt, 1618 East 17th St. Tickets are $15 at the door.

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