ALBUM REVIEW: Spawn of Almighty Essence – Schizogen
Ukraine’s SCHIZOGEN may not be the most prolific band in terms on how much music they have released, but they certainly make up for this in terms of the quality of their music. Releasing their debut album, Parasitic Origin all the way back in 2016, the band have, since its release, kept relatively quiet, at least as far as new recordings go, only releasing two singles between 2016 and the present. But, as the saying goes, good things come to those who wait; the band have finally released their long awaited second album, Spawn of Almighty Essence, an album that not only boasts a sharper and more polished production quality, but also shows a distinct growth in terms of the quality and skill that went into the bands songwriting, resulting in what could, arguably, be regarded as one of the best brutal death metal records of the last couple of years.
Birth of the Great Mass, an ominous opening track, sets a punishing and intense tone for the rest of the record, with the music quickly descending into a powerful wall of noise, blending tight melodic guitar flourishes with brutal death and slam elements, and some fantastic performances on both drums and, in particular, bass, resulting in a crushing and memorable track that starts this album off on an excellent note.
Galaxies Systematic Infection is another full throttle track, driven by some authoritative, juggernaut drumming and frenetic guitars, which act as a great base for the vocals, which carve through the mix with a dense and rabid urgency, making this already cacophonous song sound all the more impressive, crafting a monolithic sound that it’s hard not to get drawn in by. The Physical Essence of the Devourer ramps the pace up to chaotic levels, throwing the listener into a whirlwind of technical guitar hooks and monstrous rhythmic blasts, with the song shifting pace into a far more groove heavy motif, giving this song a far chunkier and fuller sound. It ebbs and flows between these more robust moments and more intricate ones with ease, making for a slab of musical madness that is eclectic even by the standards set by the first two tracks.
Biological Damage Processes proves to be a much punchier and straight forward track, with more prominent slam elements that complement the disjointed and jarring lead guitar hooks incredibly well. Jumping between tempos, this song acts like a musical roller coaster, blisteringly fast one moment and grinding down to a gnarly snails pace just seconds later. Also, the magnificent bass licks that pepper this song throughout really help to cement this song as one of the better offerings on the album up to this point, closing the albums first half extremely well.
Roots of the New Civilization with its noticeably more progressive, technical leanings, sees SCHIZOGEN begin to experiment with the guitars and bass more thoroughly, with granite heavy slam moments separating much more energetic and lively musicianship, which at points borders on melo-death territory, without sacrificing any of the beefy sound or frenzied aggression that has defined the albums sound up until this point. It’s a song that is as diverse as it is devastating, and all the better for it. The Genes Recoding, another one of the album’s brief yet brilliant compositions, is a solid, musically turbulent affair that, with machine gun precise drumming, savage vocal deliveries and huge guitars, proves to be one of the albums catchier offerings, with some soaring lead guitars keeping the song interesting and providing a touch of melodicism in amongst the more deranged moments on here.
The Last Stage of Colonization, a sprawling and vast piece of music, brings the album to a climax with some what might be it’s most brutal and visceral gambit. Whereas many bands would take a longer song as an opportunity to slow down and craft a more plodding number, SCHIZOGEN opt to dive headlong into this song with a breakneck pace and plenty of expert, amazing musicianship that makes for dizzying, yet utterly engrossing, track that has very little in the way of a dull moment to pick out. Once again alternating between slick, speed driven sections and parts with dip to a funereal pace, and pulling a variety of tricks out of their collective musical bags in order to make this song as saturated with riffs as possible, including, towards the final minutes of the song, a far more epic and ethereal passage that works quite well, something which makes this track, in spite of its length, by far and away one of the albums stand out tracks. Cold Winds of the New World brings the album to its conclusion with a short, sharp shock of grating, demented slam, which feels more like a jam session than a cohesive song, with sharp leads contrasting with a bubbling bass hook, and the drums adding a percussive punctuation point on the music. For an album that’s been so full of fast, technical and feral music, it’s a surprising and subdued way to end this record.
If there’s one word that sums this album up, it’s probably eclectic. Whereas the vast majority of bands who peddle a more brutal kind of death metal often choose to focus on one particular kind of extremity, SCHIZOGEN have clearly taken the three years since their debut to meticulously work on their sound and style to make sure it’s as over-arching as possible. With this album bringing in elements of tech death, slam and even melo-death, meaning that there’s more than likely something on here for any kind of death metal fan. The musicianship on offer has also reached new heights, and at certain points it’s almost impossible to fully appreciate every little subtle flourish on offer due to the intensity and virtuosity of it all. With Spawn of Almighty Essence, SCHIZOGEN have not only produced their best work to date, but also set themselves an incredibly lofty benchmark to overcome in the future.
Rating: 8/10
Spawn of Almighty Essence is out now via Willowtip Records.
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