Album Type:
Full Length
Date
Released:
21/04/2015
Label:
Metal Blade Records
‘Casuistry’
CD//DD track listing:
01.
Believe the Unseen
02. Reanimated Destruction
03. Cast into the Depths
04. Violent Scriptures
05. Nightmares of Your Conception
06. The Absence of Purity
07. Falling into Obscurity
08. Molecular Rematerialization
09. Drain. Deface. Abolish.
02. Reanimated Destruction
03. Cast into the Depths
04. Violent Scriptures
05. Nightmares of Your Conception
06. The Absence of Purity
07. Falling into Obscurity
08. Molecular Rematerialization
09. Drain. Deface. Abolish.
Abiotic is:
Travis
Bartosek | Vocals
Johnathan Matos | Guitar
Matt Mendez | Guitar
Alex Vazquez | Bass
Brent Phillips | Drums
Johnathan Matos | Guitar
Matt Mendez | Guitar
Alex Vazquez | Bass
Brent Phillips | Drums
Review:
The
sophomore release from this impressive tech-death outfit kicks off with a
churning, chugging blast and a brutal scream, appropriate, considering the ride
the album continues on after. There are
enough riffs on this record to satiate probably even a Necrophagist fan.
The
production of the album is superb for the genre. Punchy, articulate, and clear
without the instruments sounding so far apart sonically that it’s completely
sterile. There are some sterile sounding moments but, it’s because the band decided
to make it sound that way instead of being dictated by the production.
Spoiler
Alert: There are SO many “OH SHIT” moments throughout this record.
The
arrangements vary from brutal, chaotic, and dissonant to beautiful, and even a
little catchy. The drumming accents the guitars (or vice versa in some of the
cool beat division changes during a few riffs), with a lot of interesting
approaches to maintaining a groove across odd measures and
stylistically-contrasting riffs. Vocals are quite varied in tone from part to
part and are pretty intelligible but well produced with some high/low layering
used to good effect. It's pretty impressive when a metal vocalist manages
convincingly several different voices.
And
guitars and bass....holy shit, there is a density sonically to even the
atonal-sounding single-note riffs and dissonant parts that can only be achieved
when players have reached a hive mind. Rhythmically there is so many creative
little turn-arounds and fills. Harmonically there is, of course, a lot of
dissonance throughout the record, with some of my favorite moments being the
riff beginning at 0:42 of ‘Cast Into
the Depths’, whatever the weird little “whir” sound is during the
opening of the first track, ‘Believe
the Unseen’ (its literally like one 8th note and it sounds
like a machine malfunctioning), and the sweet harmonized sixteenth note riff
that kicks in at 1:04 of ‘Violent
Scriptures’. There is some really beautiful lead guitar played
over some pretty proggy chord progression in multiple places. I really like it
when lead guitar is utilized equally for riffing and as a counterpoint as well
as vocal-like melodies. There is a
fantastic combination of that here.
Overall,
I think what really grabbed me sonically about his album though, and this is no
detraction from the abilities of anyone else in the band, is the bass. The tone
on the record is ridiculous and the performance is almost perfect. There is a
section at 2:07 of ‘Nightmares of Your
Perception’ that I had to back up and start over three times the first
time I got to it, which I then had to do again for the solo about 38 seconds
later in the same song. These guys don't JUST shred either, there is a plethora
of down-tempo grooves perfect for moshing as well as lots of djently-placed
headbanger sections.
This
is a 5/5 record for Me! I think even my friends, who hate everything will like
this record, A lot. No sophomore record
slump for these guys.
Words by:
Ian Smedbron
‘Casuitry’
is available now
For more
information:
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