ALBUM REVIEW: Hidden History of the Human Race – Blood Incantation

Since the 2016 release of their universally acclaimed debut Starspawn, BLOOD INCANTATION have been one of death metal’s hottest commodities. Far from being simply the flavour of the month upon Starspawn‘s release, the Denver outfit have established themselves as a leader in the vanguard of the old-school death metal revival that has gripped the extreme metal scene this decade. Armed with a record deal with the prestigious Century Media Records, BLOOD INCANTATION are back with their sophomore album, Hidden History of the Human Race, intent on proving Starspawn‘s success wasn’t simply flash in the pan brilliance. 

And oh boy, do they deliver. Hidden History of the Human Race shows at every turn that the Denver quartet aren’t messing about. Opening gambit Slave Species to the Gods shows this with all the subtlety of blunt force trauma, crashing in with a whirlwind of guttural roars, up-tempo riffing and discordant leads all before the half-minute mark. Heavy on the hooks, the riff work throughout Slave Species to the Gods is as memorable as it gets, while chaotic bursts of soloing and inhuman drum work keeps the sonic devastation at a high. The Giza Power Plant follows in much the same vein, continuing the odd mix of incredibly memorable dissonance. NILE-esque Eastern melodies come in around the half way point, taking prominence and offering a highlight moment on the record and serving as iron-clad evidence that there’s more on offer here than wall-to-wall extremity.

At first glance, Inner Paths (To Outer Space) is oddly placed; an almost-six-minute, almost-instrumental offering that is incredibly heavy on the synths and atmosphere, featuring only one vocal from DEMILICH vocalist Antti Boman. After the incredible opening duo of Slave Species to the Gods and The Giza Power Plant, Inner Paths (To Outer Space) initially feels like a misstep, and would have been better served as the opening track. However, in the greater context of the album, this couldn’t be further from the truth. While the first two offerings take the listener on a journey of brutality right out the gate, Inner Paths (To Outer Space) brings an almost-calm moment of respite, serving as an effective palate cleanser before BLOOD INCANTATION drive into their monolithic closing track, Awakening from the Dream of Existence to the Multidimensional Nature of Our Reality (Mirror of the Soul).

An 18 minute epic, Awakening from the Dream of Existence to the Multidimensional Nature of Our Reality (Mirror of the Soul) is utterly exhausting; but in a wonderful way. Opening with a heavy dose of old-school brutality and discordant notes, BLOOD INCANTATION drive hard through the opening minutes of the closing track – but a battery of aggression can’t sustain a song for 18 minutes. Mystical leads bring a fresh taste, while the bolt-tight execution makes it impossible to avoid, at the very least, grimaced head-nodding and tapping feet. About a third of the way through, things take an unsettling, atmospheric turn leading into an absolutely mesmerising twist where the stunning lead guitar work demands the listener’s full and undivided attention. The atmosphere takes an oppressive, suffocating turn as the track moves towards it’s climax, ending the album with stunning solo work, some beautiful acoustics, and a fade to silence.

Make no bones about it, BLOOD INCANTATION are not a one-hit wonder. Starspawn was a very special album, and will remain so, however Hidden History of the Human Race sees the conceptual focus behind the band come to the fore, and the material is all the better for it. Though the outfit lose a bit of the raw character with a more refined, slightly more polished sound, this refinement sees BLOOD INCANTATION hit their stride as songwriters, and serves as a promise for galactic dominance. Hidden History of the Human Race is an acid trip of pure, unrestrained cosmic brutality.

Rating: 9/10

Hidden History Of The Human Race is out now via Century Media Records.

Like BLOOD INCANTATION on Facebook.