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