Within the noisy world of metal, pop crossovers can provoke mixed responses, especially when a band seek to redefine the genre entirely, by penning ambient-inspired pieces or collaborating with Megan Thee Stallion, both of which Spiritbox have done, without remorse. A metalcore band from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, upon emerging on to the scene they quickly set about carving up the genre labels applied to them, first with a series of EP’s and then with 2021’s Eternal Blue.
Their second album, Tsunami Sea, surpasses any expectations set for the project, by far. Opener Fata Morgana acts as a seething tornado of pounding guitar and caustic yells, showing that the act have lost none of their aggression in their attempts to diversify their sound palate. Indeed, the haunting quality of moments such as Perfect Soul demonstrates an ability to command a spectrum of atmospheres, whilst never losing their grasp of emotion or dynamics. Moments like A Haven With Two Faces bear an immersive quality, as the tsunami swells to swallow you, the juxtaposition of elegant execution and pulverising rhythmic changes, perfectly complimenting the contrast of primal screams, and serene elegance.
Spiritbox exhibits complete control over their sound, effortlessly shifting from dense, wall-of-noise intensity to lush, nuanced soundscapes. Take Crystal Roses, which is an entirely electronic piece, led by a skittering trip-hop inspired beat – a piece such as this may have been unthinkable in the sterile landscape of early metalcore, which despite being innovative for its time, inspired a cavalcade of imitators who sounded increasingly indistinguishable from each other.
With this project, the Canadian four-piece have planted their flag firmly next to acts such as Sleep Token or Ithaca who, regardless of individual opinion, are working to progress and reshape the genre. Even the spoken word sections of No Loss, No Love featuring LaPlante's strong range, captivating vocals and vivid, inventive words, belong outside of the narrow confines that have shaped popular understanding of alt-metal up to this point!
With poised reflection and a sense of promise for further experiments to come, Deep End rounds off a precise, all-encompassing aural onslaught that proves forceful yet frequently graceful. No moment is squandered, and even the nods to a traditional metal style occur within the context of a piece that works formidably to challenge those conventions! 8/10
Retromorphosis - Psalmus Mortis (Season Of Mist) [Charlie Rogers]
The Swedish contribution to Death Metal is usually thought of in terms of melo-death. Giants like At The Gates, Dismember, Unleashed come to mind, as well as more straight up death metal like Grave, and Bloodbath. Tech Death usually comes from further south, or from across the pond, with Germany’s ultra efficient fretboard finagling and whatever is in the Canadian water supply that produces their insane levels of virtuosity.
With poised reflection and a sense of promise for further experiments to come, Deep End rounds off a precise, all-encompassing aural onslaught that proves forceful yet frequently graceful. No moment is squandered, and even the nods to a traditional metal style occur within the context of a piece that works formidably to challenge those conventions! 8/10
Retromorphosis - Psalmus Mortis (Season Of Mist) [Charlie Rogers]
The Swedish contribution to Death Metal is usually thought of in terms of melo-death. Giants like At The Gates, Dismember, Unleashed come to mind, as well as more straight up death metal like Grave, and Bloodbath. Tech Death usually comes from further south, or from across the pond, with Germany’s ultra efficient fretboard finagling and whatever is in the Canadian water supply that produces their insane levels of virtuosity.
The stand out example of Swedish technical ability once came in the form of the legendary Spawn Of Possession, who graced us with 3 incredible tech death albums between 2003 and 2012. More than a decade later, 80% of this band have reunited to form Retromorphosis, an effective continuation of SoP’s legacy - no doubt looking to take their sound forward while bringing with them everything that brought their prior success. There’s even a lot of that Swedish inclination towards melody in there for good measure.
Obscure Exordium opens the album, a sort of overture to open the ear. Instrumental and grand, it lays the foundation for what is to come - complex rhythms, dynamic melodic movement, and percussion executed with laser precision. The final ingredient is added as Vanished launches into it’s aggressive riff salad - vocalist Dennis Röndum’s distinct roar takes us into the narrative that drives his lyrical content.
Obscure Exordium opens the album, a sort of overture to open the ear. Instrumental and grand, it lays the foundation for what is to come - complex rhythms, dynamic melodic movement, and percussion executed with laser precision. The final ingredient is added as Vanished launches into it’s aggressive riff salad - vocalist Dennis Röndum’s distinct roar takes us into the narrative that drives his lyrical content.
Each song on the album (aside from the opener) is a short story, a self contained horror vignette set to the manic musical machinations of the 5 piece’s unparalleled playing. Exquisite guitar licks poking out between frantic riffing, blisteringly quick drumming, and outstanding bass phrasing, you’ll have no trouble picking out each instrument through the crystal clear production and expertly layered harmonic compositions. Knowing when to play as a unit, and when to separate into complimentary chaos, is a skill that these players have practiced to perfection.
Being a bassist myself, I’m always excited to hear what fellow low end dweller Erlend Caspersen has contributed to a musical project, and of course I’m totally biased etc etc, but the bass tone is perfect on this record. Angular, crunchy lows paired with pingy, nasal highs, especially when he’s popping on top strings. It’s the chef’s kiss on what are already exciting, engaging basslines that perfectly compliment the dual guitar attack from Jonas Bryssling and Christian Münzner. If I already didn’t play the bass, this is the kind of record that would inspire me to go pick one up.
Being a bassist myself, I’m always excited to hear what fellow low end dweller Erlend Caspersen has contributed to a musical project, and of course I’m totally biased etc etc, but the bass tone is perfect on this record. Angular, crunchy lows paired with pingy, nasal highs, especially when he’s popping on top strings. It’s the chef’s kiss on what are already exciting, engaging basslines that perfectly compliment the dual guitar attack from Jonas Bryssling and Christian Münzner. If I already didn’t play the bass, this is the kind of record that would inspire me to go pick one up.
While there’s a tendency for a lot of tech death bands to overplay, adding superfluous sweeps and arpeggios to the compositions, or riff rhythms that sound like the composer put the “300 confirmed kills” copypasta into morse code - a lot of care has clearly been taken with writing the music on Psalmus Mortis so that there’s a coherent melodic line and movements in each piece. It’s complex without being obtuse, and as such it’s a very easy record to pick up and listen to, no doubt a great gateway to tech death as a whole. I’m very much looking forward to following what comes next from Retromorphosis, as this first foray is near flawless. 10/10
Spoiled - Collapse (Gruesome Records/Selvajaria Records) [Chris Tsintziras]
Italian crossover thrash band Spoiled will break your neck with their new release Collapse. Specifically, the wrath of drums, the intensive bass lines and the killer guitar harmonies promise that Collapse won’t leave you disappointed. My favourite track is Rotting Sun but in 20 minutes they kick the hell out of you. It's pit-inducing stuff, music written for breaking things to. I think you should definitely give Spoiler a chance! This is a good start but I strongly believe the best is yet to come. 7/10
Ocultum - Buena Muerte (Heavy Psych Records) [Rich Piva]
It is not often that I don’t connect with something that Heavy Psych Sounds puts out, but here we are. I listened to the new album from Santiago, Chile’s Ocultum, Buena Muerte, the day I got the promo, then didn’t go back for multiple weeks, which is rare, and which also means the six tracks did nothing for me.
Spoiled - Collapse (Gruesome Records/Selvajaria Records) [Chris Tsintziras]
Italian crossover thrash band Spoiled will break your neck with their new release Collapse. Specifically, the wrath of drums, the intensive bass lines and the killer guitar harmonies promise that Collapse won’t leave you disappointed. My favourite track is Rotting Sun but in 20 minutes they kick the hell out of you. It's pit-inducing stuff, music written for breaking things to. I think you should definitely give Spoiler a chance! This is a good start but I strongly believe the best is yet to come. 7/10
Ocultum - Buena Muerte (Heavy Psych Records) [Rich Piva]
It is not often that I don’t connect with something that Heavy Psych Sounds puts out, but here we are. I listened to the new album from Santiago, Chile’s Ocultum, Buena Muerte, the day I got the promo, then didn’t go back for multiple weeks, which is rare, and which also means the six tracks did nothing for me.
Sure, the record is raw, and there are some cool, heavy riffs, but how many other albums can I say that about that I connected with way more or way quicker? Don’t get me wrong, I have tried, but I do not hear anything that sets these six songs apart from any other band playing this style today.
The instrumental opener was fine, filled with some filthy riffs, and you have some hope with the title track, as it starts off like it’s a ripper. The vocals though. I can deal with harsh, but I am not connecting at all here. Musically the song is cool, but it should have stayed instrumental. There is 12-minute song that feels like 36, and closes with a 12-minute song that feels like even more.
It is raw and heavy, but there is nothing I can really get behind on the new Ocultum record. You can hear some potential, but for me, that’s about it. Bringing the riffs is only part of the equation. Keeping the listener engaged and interested is a whole other story. 5/10
The instrumental opener was fine, filled with some filthy riffs, and you have some hope with the title track, as it starts off like it’s a ripper. The vocals though. I can deal with harsh, but I am not connecting at all here. Musically the song is cool, but it should have stayed instrumental. There is 12-minute song that feels like 36, and closes with a 12-minute song that feels like even more.
It is raw and heavy, but there is nothing I can really get behind on the new Ocultum record. You can hear some potential, but for me, that’s about it. Bringing the riffs is only part of the equation. Keeping the listener engaged and interested is a whole other story. 5/10
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