Technical Death Metal

The Schoenberg Automaton – Apus Review

By Kronos on June 8, 2016 in 2016, Canadian Metal, Death Metal, Deathcore, Lifeblood Inc., Reviews, Death Metal, Deathcore, Technical Death Metal, 17 comments

“After three years plagued by seemingly perpetual setbacks, The Schoenberg Automaton’s second full-length Apus has finally made the journey from a studio in Australia to my speakers in Chicago. The Brisbane-cum-Vancouver-based technical death metal outfit caught my eye with their first EP and took off in 2013 with Vela, which built on their progressive and extreme roots, expanding their unique and abstract sound quite successfully. Yet early-release tracks from Apus had me worried that the band had abandoned just what made their previous releases so interesting and vital. Had the sophomore slump stymied their songs?” Is The Schoenberg Automaton on autopilot already?

First Fragment – Dasein Review

By Kronos on May 26, 2016 in 2016, Canadian Metal, Death Metal, Progressive Death, Reviews, Unique Leader, Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 41 comments

“I’d like to begin this review by discussing the gigantic fucking roll that French-Canadian guitarist Phillipe Tougas is currently on. Starting with last year’s release from Serocs, he has played on three downright kickass albums, all favorably reviewed on this very website. His work with Zealotry gained my notoriously stingy tech/prog-death approval, and his bizarre Timeghoul and Demilich-inspired project Chthe’ilist is almost certainly going to make the Kronos year-end list. And as if all of that wasn’t enough, his longest-running band, the neoclassically-inspired tech-death outfit First Fragment, is finally dropping their first full-length album.” Kronos is so cute when he’s not bashing tech-death production techniques.

The Zenith Passage – Solipsist Review

By Kronos on April 10, 2016 in 2016, American Metal, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Progressive Death, Reviews, Unique Leader, Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 33 comments

“I love getting debut records to review, partially because debuts are usually where bands try to bring something new to the table, and partially because it means I have a lot less contextualization to do before I write about the album. But then there are sometimes cases in which I’m actually familiar with a band prior to their release, and in this instance I have The Zenith Passage covered.” Hey Kronos, you gonna pick up all those names you just dropped?

Nucleus – Sentient Review

By Grymm on April 6, 2016 in 2016, American Metal, Death Metal, Reviews, Unspeakable Axe Records, Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 34 comments

“We live in a time where everything old is new again, and metal music is no exception. We have retro-stoner rock, retro-thrash, Scooby-Doobie Doom, and now… retro-tech-death? With the creation and success of Horrendous, many nimble-fingered, musically-acrobatic musicians are screaming bloody gore and exploring their more Human side to bring back a classic sound with all of the necessary upgrades to keep things somewhat fresh.” Tech-death like Death? That might just sell!

Atlantis Chronicles – Barton’s Odyssey Review

By Kronos on March 18, 2016 in 2016, Apathia Records, Death Metal, Deathcore, French Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Releases, Reviews, Deathcore, Melodic Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 27 comments

“It’s bands like this that keep Pär Olafsson employed. While it appears that 2014’s lampooning of less-than ballsy artwork nearly shamed the sphere out of existence, bands are still very much in the market for both cities and the color purple, and nobody does them better. As you might expect, Atlantis Chronicles are a modern death metal band whose bio describes them as having “a strong ocean’s mysteries theme,” although the true mystery here is how that name wasn’t already taken by a series of young adult fantasy novels.” Yeah, well. That can’t be good.

Omnihility – Dominion of Misery Review

By Kronos on February 16, 2016 in 2016, American Metal, Death Metal, Reviews, Unique Leader, Technical Death Metal, 34 comments

“Coming hot off the tail of a rough early summer between myself and Unique Leader records, Omnihility’s last album, Deathscapes of the Subconscious, quite impressed me with a mix of inventive and impossibly demanding riffing and a sleeve full of compositional tricks. Indeed, some of its riding embedded itself in me, and I find myself recalling the title track’s modulated theme again and again, even as I listen to the wealth of new shred that Dominion of Misery presents.” The struggle is real (and trve).

Lamentations – Echoes in the Wind Review

By El Cuervo on February 8, 2016 in 2016, Progressive Death, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Singaporean Metal, Unsigned Bands, Progressive Metal, Technical Death Metal, 14 comments

“I probably over-utilize the term ‘potential’ when describing new bands, when what I really mean is ‘not good enough yet.’ I’d already resolved to remedy this issue of my own volition and be more accurate when summarizing how I feel about a new artist. Yet, when Lamentations came across my desk with their debut Echoes in the Wind, I couldn’t help but think that these these guys have potential.” Wait, does that mean they’re bad? Or like, good? I’m now pretty confused. I’d better click this here link…

Deformatory – Malediction Review

By Kronos on February 4, 2016 in 2016, Canadian Metal, CDN Records, Death Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 15 comments

“It should go without saying that Deformatory are a brutal death metal band, not because you should already be familiar with them – Malediction is only their second release – but because of their moniker.” Brootal names say so much.

Chthe’ilist – Le Dernier Crépuscule Review

By Kronos on January 26, 2016 in 2016, Death Metal, Profound Lore Records, Releases, Reviews, Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 47 comments

“In fulfillment of his apparent residency at Profound Lore records, underground metal sweetheart Paolo Girardi has lent his considerable skill to the debut record from Chthe’ilist, a death metal act as instantly recognizable as Girardi’s paintings.” Is this a case of fine art for fine art or pearls before swine?

Arkaik – Lucid Dawn Review

By Kronos on October 26, 2015 in 2015, American Metal, Death Metal, Reviews, Unique Leader, Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 21 comments

“One of the longer-running bands in the seemingly boundless Southern California tech-death scene, Arkaik are coming up on ten years now, with Lucid Dawn as their fourth full-length in eight years.” Even in this sluggish economy, the tech sector is going strong.