A few years ago a friend of mine got me a copy of a new cd called
Cabinet. This cd showcased a mindblowing technical type of death metal which just blew me away. The cd had everything: Extremely technical yet very catchy songs played by musicians from another world. All in all amazing music played by amazing musicians backed up by a very good production.
As some of you may have guessed, that was
Spawn of Possession's first cd. So of course I jumped at the chance to review their new album,
Noctambulant.
Spawn of Possession were signed by Neurotic Records before releasing the new album, a label who should be able to promote the album and help the band get the best possible album out. And
Noctambulant is indeed something special.
This is, hands down, the most technical death metal album I have ever heard and I'm pretty sure that they explicitly tried to write album which would be a milestone in the genre. They have achieved this goal, not by approaching the speed barrier but via riffs that could make a jazz musician dizzy. The chord progressions, time-changes and harmonies have a definite jazz- or modern classical touch to them. In fact the album begins with a classical piece with a very modern sound, possibly some russian or eastern european influences. After that they blast away with
Lash by Lash which sets the standard for how to play technical death metal.
The big problem with this album for me is that they have sacrificed the catchy riffs and melodies for technique. Yes, the music is sick and brutal and I can appreciate the sheer virtuoso musicians and it never gets boring. But when I then put on
Cabinet, I suddenly understand what I'm missing in
Noctambulant: Catchy riffs and melodies! There is a serious lack of parts that make you want to headbang. So if that's what you are looking for, look elsewhere. On the other hand, it is as if they sacrificed this on purpose for the ability to explore tech-land.
So why do I still enjoy this album? Well, I have always had a soft spot for virtuosos. And there is just so incredibly much to digest on this album. It is music you have to listen to, if you just have it in the background, it will all turn into a blur of notes. But listen carefully and you will find great music. So take the time to discover it, ok?
One thing that you notice pretty fast is the use of harmonies. Actually I don't think the two guitarists play many of the same notes, if any. Almost all riffs and melodies are played with two or more different harmonies. And here they've chosen to do something you don't see very often in death metal: There are several parts that are played with clean sounds on the guitars. These parts have a very modern classical sound mixed with a good dose of modern jazz, creating a clinical, cold and sterile feeling. This again helps amplify the the extreme technical, almost un-human feeling that there is to
Noctambulant.
So whether you should run out and get this album depends on how you want your death metal. If you want music to growl along and headbang to, go elsewhere. However, if you are looking for the most technical and sick death metal on planet earth, you should have bought
Noctambulant yesterday! There is no doubt that this is a milestone by which new tech death albums will be judged in the future. So even though I miss the catchy parts of
Cabinet, it isn't a completely fair comparison since they've chosen a new direction. The rating I've chosen to give
Noctambulant reflects that I'm torn between the love I have for extremely technical and virtuoso music and the pure raw power there is in music that forces you to headbang. You will have to decide where you stand between these two extremes.
Written by
Tajs Saturday, November 18, 2006
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