Allegaeon Posts New Track from Forthcoming Album

Allegaeon has posted a song from their forthcoming album, Formshifter, which is set to hit stores in the U.S. on May 8, 2012.  The track is called "Tartessos: The Hidden Xenochryst" and it's streaming live on Metal Blade Records' Youtube channel.  Check it out below:

Revocation - Chaos of Forms (2011)

Genre: Death Metal/Thrash Metal/Extreme Metal

Release Date: August 16, 2011

1. Cretin (3:03)

2. Cradle Robber (4:25)

3. Harlot (2:51)

4. Dissolution Ritual (4:37)

5. Conjuring the Cataclysm (4:34)

6. No Funeral (3:55)

7. Fractal Entity (1:43)

8. Chaos of Forms (4:30)

9. The Watchers (4:12)

10. Beloved Horrifier (4:09)

11. Dethroned (4:57)

12. Reprogrammed (4:03)

Last year, the website Metal Sucks named Revocation guitarist/frontman David Davidson the best guitarist in modern metal.  With the advent of technical death metal, there is some stiff competition out there.  Thus, to be called the best modern metal guitarist isn't an easily earned title or something to be taken lightly.  Usually I am skeptical of top guitarist lists because, in my opinion, they're usually way off.  But in this case, if Davidson doesn't deserve to called the best guitarist in modern metal, he is at least worthy of the top 5.  This guy has some mad skills and they are displayed to the fullest on Revocation's latest release.

Chaos of Forms is the third album from the Boston extreme metal act.  Revocation blends elements of death metal, thrash metal, speed metal, and everything in between to create a brutal audio assault that is nothing short of brilliant.  Davidson employs every guitar technique in the book in a varied and exciting way that never gets boring or repetitive.

Cretin

It's difficult to parallel Revocation with other bands in the genre simply because they have a rather unique sound.  Much of this has to do with Davidson's guitar work.  In one passage he can blend dissonant riffs, switch up to melodic leads, and then employ a blazing thrash metal style tremolo picking.  His riffs are constantly changing between styles, which makes it very enthralling to listen to.  One song that provides a great example of how he combines all these elements is the eleventh track on Chaos of Forms, "Dethroned".

Dethroned

Cradle Robber

While delivering up some menacing guitar riffs, Davidson also handles the vocals and offers up a stellar performance on the microphone on this album.  Davidson's vocals are arguably just as unique as his guitar playing and really give Revocation a bludgeoning sound that all metal fans should appreciate.

While the bass and drums on this record are by no means groundbreaking, they provide the perfect backdrop to Davidson's top notch guitar work and guttural vocals.  Phil Dubois-Coyne (drums) and Anthony Buda (bass) have proven their skills on previous Revocation releases in any case, so it's not all that disappointing to see the bass and drums recede into a background role on Chaos of Forms.

Revocation builds on their previous releases, Empire of the Obscene (2008) and Existence is Futile (2009), and develops their song writing and structure to new heights on this record.  Personally, Empire of the Obscene is still my favorite Revocation album, but Chaos of Forms is an amazing record and one of the best releases to come out in 2011.  I look forward to their continued contributions to the metal scene.

Final Rating: 9/10

3 Favorite Songs from the Album: Cretin, Cradle Robber, Conjuring the Cataclysm

Beneath the Massacre - Incongruous (2012)

Genre: Technical Death Metal

Release Date: February 14, 2012

1.  Symptoms (3:06)

2. Hunted (2:27)

3. Left Hand (2:42)

4. Hopes (3:32)

5. It (2:57)

6. Light (2:50)

7. Incongruous (1:04)

8. Pedestal (3:31)

9. Grief (2:15)

10. Damages (3:49)

11. Unheard (2:55)

Incongruous, which came out on Valentine's Day (how romantic?!), was one of the most highly anticipated releases unleashed in the early months of 2012.  It's been almost four years since the last full length Beneath the Massacre record dropped, so fans have been waiting quite some time for this album.

This record has everything we've come to expect from a BTM release: ultra-fast drumming, insane sweep picking and tapping guitar parts, fat bass tracks, and crushing vocals (oh and a few breakdowns as well).  One thing that became clear to me as I was listening to Incongruous is all the band members have improved at their instruments dramatically.  This record is pretty much a clinic displaying the unfathomable skills of Beneath the Massacre's instrumental work.

Symptoms

Christopher Bradley (guitar), Dennis Bradley (bass), and Justin Rousselle (drums) all most certainly have musical chops.  This is undeniable, but this is not to say this album is without its' problems.  Incongruous is a rather difficult album to digest at times.  There isn't much variety in the guitar riffs or the drum tracks throughout the record.  Most times it just seems to be a collection of insane blast beats, sweep tapping licks, ultra-fast double bass, interspersed tremolo picking riffs, etc, etc, ad infinitum.  I've listened to this release all the way through several times now and there aren't many parts that stick out in my mind.  While previous BTM albums, such as Mechanics of Dysfunction (2007), had a number of memorable riffs, Incongruous is unfortunately lacking in this department.

I get the feeling that Beneath the Massacre was looking to push their boundaries in terms of technicality on this release (which they certainly did).  However, they sacrificed some variety and originality in the process and I think that's unfortunate.  No one is going to dispute that these guys are proficient at their instruments.  Every song shouldn't have to be arranged to show what crazy sweep tapping riff Bradley can play or how fast Rousselle can pummel his drum kit.

Left Hand

I don't want to spend this whole review doling out criticism though because Incongrous is a really good album that has plenty of bright spots.  My favorite track on the record is the fifth one, entitled "It".  "It" shows what incredible potential Beneath the Massacre has to craft music that is not only technical for the sake of being technical, but also incredibly catchy and memorable as well.  They display their technical prowess on this track without sacrificing melody or brutality.

It

One aspect of this record that impressed me was Elliot Desgagne's vocals.  While I've always felt that Desgagne's technique has complimented Beneath the Massacre's instrumental style well, his vocals have never really stood out to me in comparison with other vocalists in the genre (like Derek Rydquist of The Faceless, just to name one).  He has really come into his own on this release and his vocal style sounds more refined than on their previous records.

Ultimately, while I don't feel this is BTM's best record, it is an excellent release and one that continues to grow on me the more I listen to it (in large part, the more I listen to "It").  I like the direction Beneath the Massacre's sound is going in and I hope they continue to develop both their technical skills and variety (though, the latter is what they need more of at this point).  When people come to me for death metal recommendations, Beneath the Massacre is always one of the first bands I mention.  This won't be changing anytime soon and I am rather pleased with the latest release from this Canadian technical death metal outfit.

Final Rating: 8.5/10

3 Favorite Songs from the Album: Symptoms, It, Damages

Psycroptic - The Inherited Repression (2012)

Genre: Technical Death Metal

Release Date: February 7, 2012

1. Carriers of the Plague (6:07)

2. Forward to Submission (3:56)

3. Euphorinasia (4:54)

4. The Throne of Kings (4:04)

5. Unmasking the Traitors (3:55)

6. Become the Cult (4:11)

7. From Scribe to Ashes (3:50)

8. Deprivation (5:44)

9. The Sleepers Have Awoken (4:08)

Wow.  Psycroptic have outdone themselves once again.  Coming off their latest release, Ob(Servant) (2008), I found it difficult to conceive that this Australian tech-death quartet would release an album even better than that excellent record.  Much to my delight, I was mistaken.  Psycroptic has crafted another masterpiece.

The Inherited Repression marks the fifth full length release for Psycroptic, and in my opinion, it's their best album to date.  This is not something I'm putting lightly.  I consider Ob(Servant) among my all-time favorite albums and it's a masterpiece in its' own right.  I've spent the last two weeks alternately listening to both those records so I could figure out which one I thought was better.  The Inherited Repression wins by a hair.

One of the things I love most about technical death metal is that the genre keeps getting pushed to new extremes each and every year.  A large factor in determining this trend is the fact that the musicians who started the genre are all getting better at playing their respective instruments as time goes by.  In addition, many of these bands (Psycroptic among them) are developing a more mature sound with each new release.  On the whole, this is the most mature-sounding album Psycroptic has recorded.

Carriers of the Plague

One aspect of this album that makes it stand out from other technical death metal releases is the flow of the music.  The songs aren't just a collection of notes and complex riffs thrown together in order (many other technical acts are guilty of this type of song construction).  The drums and guitar really groove and weave together well, making each track feel more organic than contrived.

I don't want to downplay the technicality of this release, though, because the songs on here are very intricate.  Joe Haley effortlessly blends chord progressions with elaborate fills that connect his riffs together.  His legato playing style is, in my opinion, developed to its highest level yet on The Inherited Repression.

Unmasking the Traitors

This song really gives the listener a good example of Joe Haley's signature legato guitar style.

Dave Haley's drumwork is also superb and his skills are put on display well here.  What separates his playing from that of many other drummers in the genre is his variety and flow.  Haley doesn't constantly lay down blast beats and ridiculously fast double bass play (although these aspects are present at times, as they should be on a death metal record).  He alternates between a mixture of different styles instead of just blasting his kit as fast as humanly possible.  Interesting cymbal work, alternately slow and fast-paced beats, and varied tom fills can all be found throughout the record.  "From Scribe to Ashes" is a good example that highlights Dave Haley's variations:

From Scribe to Ashes

The bass is not very prominent on this record, but in the end, this doesn't detract from the quality of the release.  Cameron Grant's bass work provides a solid backdrop to some heavy and groovy riffs but isn't featured as much as some other technical death metal acts, like The Faceless or Anata.

The vocals on this record are interesting in that they bear little resemblance to Psycroptic's earlier works, such as The Isle of Disenchantment (2001) and Symbols of Failure (2006).  They aren't classic death metal vocals, but are a closer kin of modern thrash metal records.  In any case, Jason Peppiatt makes it work and delivers a great vocal performance on The Inherited Repression.

In conclusion, Psycroptic has proven their worth yet again as one of the most interesting technical death metal bands in the world.  I predict this album will be one of the best death metal records to drop in 2012 and it will certainly be blasting through my speakers for months to come.  You owe it to yourself to listen to The Inherited Repression.  What are you waiting for?!

Final Rating: 10/10

MASTERPIECE

3 Favorite Songs from the Album: Carriers of the Plague, Unmasking the Traitors, Deprivation

Honorable Mention: Every other song on the album...