I made comments earlier to the effect of that I’d not heard the 2011 death metal record of the year. Nader Sadek definitely fills in that gap deftly, but Beyond Creation’s 2011 release The Aura from some obscure Canadian Label that is going on a 6 month vacation so you can’t actually order records from them, should definitely tickle the fancy of anyone who loves technical death metal in the vein of Death, Obscura, Necrophagist, Cynic or Exivious. In other words, this is mandatory listening for fans of the genre.
And man, when I got this record I was fucking giddy. From the beginning it’s pretty much a non-stop, smash you in the face example of what makes tech death some of my favorite music in the world when done right. Subtly melodic, tracks like “Coexistence” hook you with guitar (and bass) carried melodies and virtuoso performances, while at the same time bringing around heaviness and brutality when needed. In that sense, it’s more comparable to Obscura’s breakthrough record Cosmogenesis than most of the other tech death kin. There’s a melodic sense that often gets lost in Necrophagist or Spawn of Possession kind of work.
While the whole band is obviously very talented, you should know that the thing to watch for here is Beyond Creation’s bassist Dominic Lapointe. This guy is a rare talent on the fretless bass and the way that bass is used here is even more in your face than on Cynic or Obscura’s work. But while this rubs some people the wrong way, it definitely hits me right in the “OH FUCK YEAH” section of the brain. Watch out especially for the way it’s used in clean breakdowns like in “Coexistence,” or as a countermelody at the halfway point of huge epic “The Departed.” This is a sound I can’t get enough of.
I strongly recommend you head over to the band’s merch page and buy this thing directly. It’s ridiculously awesome.
