An Examination of Being

This is a band name that should ring bells of recognition in any Deicide fan’s head, featuring both Steve Asheim and Kevin Quirion, although anyone familiar with the vicious blackened death metal band Council of the Fallen may well identify them more immediately as that band’s new incarnation. For the most part (with exceptions) this album is a bit of a simpler affair than both of those things. It doesn’t have that livid, something-to-prove edge that the former’s recent efforts have had, and it doesn’t take quite the same battering, and energetically off-kilter approach that made the latter reminiscent of more progressive death metal acts like Pestilence. Instead, this is quite humble but very effectively executed melodic blackened death, which reminds me first of all of a less theatrically satanic Belphegor.

Fortunately (and as with Belphegor), what could potentially be a bit humdrum run through tremolo riffs and clunking death metal churning is greatly enlivened by some passionate and aggressive songwriting, and often elevated to great heights by the fantastic lead guitar performances. So, there are simple, direct tunes like This Mortal Journey, which is a relentless, Dissection-like rush through pounding blastbeats and catchy rhythm guitar harmonies. But this is followed by the sensational …In The Mirror, possibly the best track here, and probably the most creative and varied, which catapults the listener through melodeath flourishes, crunching grooves, and a dazzling thrash lead solo. The workmanlike metal is ornamented with little bits of finely-worked gold.

Anyway, there’s not too much else to say here. This is a pretty good death metal album with some great playing on it. It’s also probably a grower; what can give you the overall impression at first of something quite straightforward and unremarkable, reveals on further listens some tracks of real class.