Subsequenaut

Intronaut is busy working on material for a new record expected sometime next year. They released this short video earlier today, and while it doesn't give much away it definitely gets me pretty amped. Valley Of Smoke saw Intronaut treading quite a bit of new ground in exploring sonic possibilities; it provided a variation of Intronaut without compromising their core character or quality. What's in store for 2013? Is it bad that I am already expecting my mind to be blown? When I listen to this I cannot help but want to pick up my guitar and create copious amounts of loud.

Technical Ecstasy

While I somewhat regret not having ordered this from Relapse when it came out, perhaps picking up Obscura's limited vinyl pressing of Omnivium recently from a mom-and-pop establishment worked out for the best.  I ended up with the amazing mossy green splash colored vinyl, which may now be my favorite colored piece of vinyl...it's too wonderful for words.

If you're a fan of technical metal, you already know Germany's Obscura, who have embarked on an epic artistic undertaking of a multi-album concept - the scope of which essentially includes the creation, evolution, and destruction of a (the?) cosmos.  This, of course, wouldn't work at all if they weren't completely astoundingly talented as musicians and songwriters.  Some of what you hear in Omnivium will scramble your brain - harmonies that rotate intervals between the two guitars and bass, sweeped semi-harmonic arpeggiated chords, odd time signature changes complete with off kilter percussive rolls and fills, out-of-the-blue dissonant guitar breaks, and bass leads that creep in and out of the mix.  Other bits of what you hear will tap into the primordial self - bludgeoning caveman-simple thrash, palm-muted guitar chunk with double-kick backbeat ferocity, tight-knit rhythm grooves, and powerful guttural vocals.  Everything is sorted and organized just so by the collective science of the band, and yet still bares the emotion and soul of truly heartfelt music.  This is a combinational balance that very few bands can pull off...and even more rarely do it as exquisitely as Obscura have here.  Like the work of a master carpenter, everything fits together perfectly; joints and edges are square and finely matched with a precision of superior craftsmanship and love - their are no glue spots or unsightly gaps...only the marriage of art and form.  Here's the nearly instrumental penultimate track from the record...


Obscura are about to release a collection of demos and covers called Illegimitation and hit the road in Europe with Spawn Of Possession, Gorod, and Exivious.  Here's to hoping they make it back to the States for another leg before we have to wait for their next record.

Grave Words: The Sound Of Perseverance

I've been wanting to start a retrospective category of posts.  Each would briefly comment on an album which would have to be at least 10 years old - a paragraph or two of the significance of the record.  I've decided to start this series today with a post in honor of Chuck Schuldiner, frontman of Death, who died ten years ago today.

The year is 1998; Death, the pioneers of death metal, released their last studio album.  The Sound Of Perseverance is one of the most impressive metal albums I have ever heard.  From the over-the-top drum intro of opener Scavenger Of Human Sorrow to the intense death screams in the finale - a cover of Judas Priest's Painkiller, each track is teeming with disgusting riffs, majestic leads, mind-bending changes, and percussive black magic.  The Sound Of Perseverance should be held as the epitome for progressive death metal, meeting the perfect integration of technical skill and songwriting.  At just the right moments things shift from elaborate and intricately composed layers into beautifully heavy, melodic refrains and breaks.  Each song is a journey complete in and of itself - the album an omnibus of musical adventure.

I remember hearing it for the first time - my jaw just dropped.  I was indeed familiar with Death's previous work, but something contained in this record went just that far beyond what they had done before, which was quite remarkable.  Some feel that it was too polished and showboating - lacking the rawness and harshness of what death metal should be, but I feel that this was the album Schuldiner was meant to make.  Though he continued creating music with Control Denied, The Sound Of Perseverance is his swan song and solidifies his legendary status in the metal world.  I honestly don't know how this record could be any better, or could better represent what Chuck was all about.  If you're into metal and have not heard this record, I highly recommend remedying that immediately.

Here's to an extremely talented and unique songwriter and musician.  You'll never be forgotten, Chuck.