#phenocryst

Zoned Clinopyroxene phenocryst in Plagioclase groundmass

Hawaiian Basalt

Egyptian diorite vase.

Archaeologists frequently comment that the best workmanship of Ancient Egypt occurs in the earliest eras of that long lived civilisation, and in no area is it truer than the lovely hard stone vases and bowls made in predynastic times. Thousands were found in the earliest step pyramid of Djoser and they are some of the finest stonework ever produced by humans.

The technology used to work such hard stone is a mystery, though lathes and bronze cutting tools tipped with hard materials such as corundum or diamond must have been involved. One example has clearly been centred twice during manufacture on a lathe, exhibiting two surfaces. No evidence such as diamond tipped tools has so far been found from that era, so the puzzle remains. Some of the vases have also been incised with hieroglyphs with a sharp point, such as a diamond octahedron. Saws covered in abrasive powder such as emery (powdered corundum) were also used.

This example from the Field Museum dates from the latest pre dynastic period known as Naqada 2. It was carved out of porphyritic diorite, in which the large white crystals of feldspar grew slowly in a cooling magma before it was quenched, resulting in the finely crystalline matrix. Diorite (diabase to some) is an intrusive equivalent of basalt, that cooled below the surface rather than being erupted, in much the same way that granite is the intrusive analogue of rhyolite.

Loz

Image credit: Madman2001/Wikimedia Commons.

Phenocryst - Cremation Pyre

Death Metal from Lisbon, Portugal

Hailing from Portugal, PHENOCRYST was formed in early 2020, during the recording of their debut EP. The band is based in the outskirts of Lisbon, and the origin of such conjuration is a rigorous consequence of a vibrant underground activity in the city. The band wanted to create the foundation of a death metal act crossing other influences like doom and some psychedelic vibes, to illustrate soundscapes of disastrous, catastrophic, and annihilating volcanic and natural events. There are not many artists actually singing about this specific topic, if any, and therefore, the lyrical content is also something to explore. As such, the moniker PHENOCRYST is fitting.

1. Pinnacle of Death 04:58 2. Astonishing Devastation 06:05 3. Pyres of the Altar 04:47 4. Incandescent Debris 03:51 5. Embers of an Ancient Fire 06:31 6. Volcanic Winter 06:05 7. Fogo nas Entranhas 04:40 8. Burial Swamps 02:04

Release date: August 30th, 2024 via @bloodharvestrecords

PHENOCRYST set release date for BLOOD HARVEST debut EP, reveal first track – features members of SUMMON, NECROBODE, SCUM LIQUOR, CONCILIUM, SEPULCROS+

Altered feldspar phenocryst