ALBUM REVIEW: Algorythm – Beyond Creation
At some point in the recent past, a change took hold of progressive death metal. By definition, progressive metal must progress, but the stylistic shift seems to have entailed more than that. The extremities of violent or cosmic artwork, of lyrics focussed on the dissection of the human body, have taken an introspective turn, examining the human spirit instead. Artwork shifted from some cataclysm among the distant stars to oil paintings of the abstract, and with that shift, so too were the accompanying sonic elements retooled to explore a new expanse of esoteric thought. It is a movement helmed and best exemplified by the likes of FALLUJAH, and as of this year, RIVERS OF NIHIL, and IRREVERSIBLE MECHANISM. Those writing the thinking man’s death metal thought harder, and as a result, the genre feels more credible, more accessible, and more artistically valid. Enter BEYOND CREATION.
Debuting in 2011 with the critically acclaimed The Aura, they made it clear that there was a new titan wandering the plains of technical death metal. A dazzling first taste of their low-tuned, dynamic, classically driven, bass-heavy sound, it proved one of the more notable tech-death releases of that year, and is frequently brought up when one even mentions the genre. The undulating song structures and unique playing style – with a heavy focus on tapping, duet riffs, and neoclassical arrangements – cemented their place besides genre giants OBSCURA, SPAWN OF POSSESSION, and others. 2014 and a sophomore album illustrated an interesting caveat of the genre, however, when the band seemed to reach the theoretical artistic limits of straight and narrow technical death metal. While the album was certainly brilliant, it seemed as though the band trod trails well trodden, and brought nothing new to the genre outside of a brilliant performance.
Their third and latest effort, Algorythm, is a far different tale. Opening with an ominous orchestral introduction, it does not take long for the album to hit breakneck pace with its opening number. It also does not take long for one to notice a new element to the band’s considerable talents. The songs seem driven. The writing is seemingly much more conscious of memorability as it is of technicality, and thus possesses a fierce personality.
As soon as one dives into the album’s second track, Surface’s Echoes, a new side of BEYOND CREATION is shown. Progressive elements have found their way in through the flurry of notes, resulting in a playful, melodic, and downright absorbing pedal point focussed number. As with any technical death metal album, the guitarwork is the driving force of the sound, and Algorythm is no different. Surface’s Echoes vigorously exhibits the band’s new philosophy of shred, in which guitar solos have changed from mere showcases of skill, to an element which actively progresses and pushes the song forward, which, in turn, brings new meaning and urgency to the virtuosic levels of fretboard abuse. Songs such as the title track and The Afterlife are further examples of this, songs that excel because of these sections.
The progressive elements on display throughout the record make for a fantastic addition to the band’s sound, allowing them to blend the thunderous cacophony of death metal with the thoughtful and the melodious, resulting in cyclopean songs such as Ethereal Kingdom, a downtrodden death metal dirge brimming with expert expressions of emotion.
Algorythm is a difficult album to fault. It gets so much right from previous releases, and so much right in the current climate of progressive and technical death metal. It is an album that sits perfectly beside its peers, possibly even overshadowing them in its brilliance. Algorythm is an album that represents growth, one that rejects backward steps and oppressive sameness. This is a conscious effort by a band to declare and define their own sound, and truly, BEYOND CREATION have made it their own. This is an essential for all fans of the technical, the complex, or the strange. This is a high water mark for technical death metal.
Rating: 9/10
Algorythm is set for release October 12th via Season Of Mist.
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