Misanthropy – The Ever-Crushing Weight of Stagnance Review

By Kenstrosity

Apparently, Chicago progressive tech death quartet Misanthropy used to play thrash metal. Once I learned of this shift, it felt like I could suddenly hear a thrashy thread running through their newest release, The Ever-Crushing Weight of Stagnance. Having no prior experience with Misanthropy’s back catalog, I walked into their third record with an open mind, ready and willing to be probed by the wild and the wacky. Sometimes, unexpected changes make for unexpected pleasures.

You’d be forgiven for mistakenly clocking Misanthropy as boilerplate tech death based solely on outward appearances. You’d nonetheless be incorrect. For the longest time, I struggled to nail down exactly what amalgamation of sounds and styles Misanthropy represented. But then I started writing this piece and it hit me. Imagine a dirtier Augury fed through an Atrae Bilis filter and finished with a proggy Atvm glaze, and you have a roughly accurate blueprint of what to expect from current Misanthropy. Twisting, gnarled compositions, motivated by Paul’s multifaceted kitwork, mesh and morph against guitarists Kevin’s and Jose Valles’ unending cavalcade of mind-shredding riffs. Mark’s burbling bass and vicious vox form both the throbbing underbelly and the piercing voice of the record, propelling The Ever-Crushing Weight of Stagnance through its forty-five-minute tale with gusto and gravity. In totality, The Ever-Crushing Weight of Stagnance represents a fierce and furious affair. Yet, countless stops and swaps between blistering grooves, manic freakouts, mind-melting churns, and ground-shaking stomps leave me mostly rapt throughout.

Highlighting standout moments on The Ever-Crushing Weight of Stagnance proves a challenge, as Misanthropy penned so many killer passages into these seven songs that it’s hard to pick favorites. Even so, massive pit-opening grooves and slithering riffs elevate thrashier songs like “The All-Devouring” to the top of the pile. An eerie, waltzing dalliance with jazz rhythms allows opener “Of Sulking and the Wrathful” to shine in its back half as well, showcasing Misanthropy’s knack for oddball transitions that work deceivingly well in the context of their chosen style. At first I struggled to appreciate “Condemned to a Nameless Tomb” and “Descent” for their unorthodox combination of Veilburner stream-of-consciousness writing and Artificial Brain shimmer, but with time I grew to appreciate their place in the lineup as the next-door-neighbor monstrosities that they are. Unafraid to get down and dirty, “Sepulcher” offers just the right amount of funky Alkaloid intelligence to offset filthy Incantation tones and harmonized riffing, expertly juggling straightforward and slimy with weird and wretched.

Impressive though it is that Misanthropy managed to cover so much stylistic ground without sullying their unique new character, The Ever-Crushing Weight of Stagnance remains a touch disjointed as a whole. Tonally, Misanthropy play fearlessly with rough-hewn textures inside a more clinical environment, but there are moments of mild uncanny valley associated with that experiment, as certain elements of Misanthropy’s flexible sound clash rather than coalesce (“A Cure for the Pestilence”). Misanthropy’s willingness and ability to throw everything but the kitchen sink at their compositions without totally destabilizing everything deserves great respect, but it sometimes comes at the cost of fluidity and cohesion (“Consumed by the Abyss”). This, therefore, makes certain sections of The Ever-Crushing Weight of Stagnance somewhat difficult to listen to casually, as I often lose details or miss quality segments when not listening intently. Additionally, the occasional abrupt switch between unexpected change-ups make already lengthy tracks (most soar past the six minute mark) feel even lengthier.

Thankfully, listening intently is quite literally my job here, and I spend lots of time with my charges. Consequently, I can assure you that The Ever-Crushing Weight of Stagnance represents yet another killer in Transcending Obscurity’s lineup of crazy beasts. It may not be everyone’s favorite creature, but if you aren’t careful, it’s liable to sink its teeth into your flesh and rend it from the bone regardless. Some, if not most, of you would probably love that, I’m sure. If so, Misanthropy’s third unleashment is a fine selection for your sick kicks.

Rating: Very Good
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
Websites: misanthropychicago.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/MisanthropyChicago
Releases Worldwide: December 13th, 2024

#2024 #35 #Alkaloid #AmericanMetal #ArtificialBrain #AtraeBilis #Atvm #Augury #DeathMetal #Dec24 #Incantation #Misanthropy #ProgressiveDeathMetal #ProgressiveMetal #Review #Reviews #TechnicalDeathMetal #TheEverCrushingWeightOfStagnance #TranscendingObscurityRecords #Veilburner

Atrae Bilis – Aumicide Review

By Kenstrosity

2020 saw the rise of an exciting new EP by Canadian oddball tech death outfit Atrae Bilis, entitled Divinihility. While that record carved deep grooves into the earth, forming a tight network of twisting channels into which the band planted their roots, the wrangled tangle of barbed vines that sprung out of debut LP Apexapien exhibited more dissonant and atmospheric traits than I anticipated. It wasn’t a direction I would’ve preferred Atrae Bilis to take, but there’s no denying now that it was the smartest move. The band’s signature gnarled expulsions kept me intrigued enough that I eagerly snapped up sophomore full length Aumicide for my warped death fix.

If Apexapien took what was great about Divinihility and fragmented it into something uncanny and alien, then Aumicide took Apexapien as inspiration, dissected it once more, and reimagined its constituent elements into a design even more mangled and unnerving. That’s not to say that Atrae Bilis carelessly hacked apart and stitched together their creations without consideration. In fact, Aumicide is meticulously conceived and immaculately fastened together (“Inward to Abraxas,” “Monolith Aflame”). Staggered riff patterns and jagged grooves sync together despite their short-lived spans. Ideas disperse as quickly as they appear, or they reprise themselves at odd intervals and unexpected junctures (“Hell Simulation,” “To Snuff the Spirit Guides”). Somehow, the parts and pieces of the whole find an unlikely unity, a counterintuitive sense of flow across a remarkably tight forty minutes.

An unfortunate consequence of Atrae Bilis’ increasingly unorthodox approach to songwriting is that Aumicide only rewards its most patient and invested listeners. A true grower by nature, Aumicide lacks the immediacy of any of the band’s previous releases, instead focusing on an unintuitive structure that recalls a sonic equivalent to M.C. Escher’s wood engravings. Everything I encounter is easily recognizable as Atrae Bilis’ work, but Aumicide’s form is initially difficult to navigate because so many of its disorienting passages feel interchangable—any one could swap positions with another without compromising the structural integrity of the whole (“Protoxenesis” vs. “A Kingdom of Cortisol”). With more time, attention, and most importantly, many repeat listens, it steadily becomes apparent that those pieces are in fact bespoke to the songs in which they feature (“Inward to Abraxas,” “Through the Hologram’s Cervix”). Unfortunately, that realization may come too late for some. An added consequence of Atrae Bilis’s use of ephemeral vignettes as the building blocks of their constructs, many of Aumicide’s best ideas lack memorability or are difficult to pinpoint when recalling specific measures.1 Because the bulk of its compositional moments only get small portions of time apiece to shine, eschewing traditional repetition more often than not (exceptions include the incredible riffs in “Inward to Abraxas” and “To Snuff the Spirit Guides”), Aumicide might slip out of listeners’ grip on a casual spin.

On focused spins, though, Aumicide is monumentally interesting and continuously entertaining. Gnarled musical pathways weave between deformed, often heavily distorted scenery and create an uncomfortable atmosphere that feels so far removed from terrestrial environs that it challenges less acclimated tastes. But, because Atrae Bilis still retains the muscular groove that informed their earliest material, Aumicide’s otherworldly anatomy remains as invigorating as ever for a wider audience. From the opening bars of surprisingly worthwhile instrumental opener “Protoxenesis” to the bouncy leads closing the record as “Excrutiate Incarnate” fades to black, Aumicide swaggers and swerves with a flexibility that belies its sinewy form. Atrae Bilis’ ability to manipulate arpeggiated riffs, scathing scrapes, staggered blasts, and ultra-guttural roars into increasingly unknowable shapes never ceases to surprise. The added strobing distortions that provide a novel post-processed zest to songs like “Salted in Stygia” and “Inward to Abraxas” only expands their arsenal of ever-mutating sounds. That continuous drive to incrementally diversify and develop constitutes the spirit of Aumicide, and is the very thing that makes Atrae Bilis’ brainy tech death so much fun to experience.

The challenge, then, is how do Atrae Bilis evolve from this stage? A million options lie before them, but I as part of their loyal audience can’t anticipate where they lead. For me, that prospect indicates Atrae Bilis still have much potential to realize, and that Aumicide is but a stepping stone towards the band’s peak form. Therefore, I will continue watching Atrae Bilis closely and with great enthusiasm. I can’t wait to hear what comes next.

Rating: Good!
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: 20 Buck Spin
Websites: facebook.com/atraebilis | atraebilisdeath.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: April 19th, 2024

#20BuckSpin #2024 #30 #Apr24 #AtmosphericDeathMetal #AtraeBilis #Aumicide #DeathMetal #DissonantDeathMetal #Review #Reviews #TechnicalDeathMetal

Engulf – The Dying Planet Weeps Review

By Kenstrosity

New year, new sponge, same gig. What a better way to kick off 2024 than with some brutal, slightly proggy, slightly technical death metal! How serendipitous it was, then, that Engulf finally dropped their debut LP The Dying Planet Weeps upon my eager lap. Complete with very nice artwork and a remarkably rich and warm production, The Dying Planet Weeps aims to make a mockery of my scoring average as early in the year as it possibly can. Read on to find out if it does indeed embarrass me with all of its brutalizing riches.

Metallum suggests that Engulf’s closest relative is Morbid Angel. Given what I’ve heard so far of both acts, I see the resemblance. However, the first companions that come to mind for me are Atrae Bilis, Eximperitus, Hath, a touch of Gorguts, and a twist of Asphyx. With such heavy hitters as compatriots, two things become clear. Firstly, Engulf set themselves up with gargantuan shoes to fill, risking it all to make a name for themselves next to far more established bands with high pedigree. Secondly, The Dying Planet Weeps will undoubtedly appeal to almost anyone who likes death metal. Raunchy, slithering, and unnervingly catchy, mastermind and multi-instrumentalist Hal Microutsicos’ riffs and multifaceted rhythms cut deep and lodge themselves inside the brain like a botfly. While those riffs gestate in my cranium, Hal’s retching roars and rasps, highly reminiscent of Martin Van Drunen’s style of explusion, create a delightfully decipherable treatise on environmental devastation. At a tight and muscular thirty-six minutes, The Dying Planet Weeps practically begs for repeat spins. Meanwhile, the songwriting’s unstoppable momentum ensures that the album needn’t have begged, for repeat spins are inevitable.

With “Withered Suns Collapse,” Engulf do something rarified in metal: integrate any and all atmospheric introductions into the opener proper. Thankfully, this one is short and effective, leading you to a blistering, bouncy riff vaguely reminiscent of Abysmal Torment‘s “The Misanthrope.” A great way to kick a record into gear, indeed, but the song evolves further. By introducing harmonized variations of the song’s main theme, Hal proves himself a versatile songwriter who understands the critical importance of layering and detailing in this kind of music. This strategy carries over into follow-up tracks “Bellows of the Aether,” “The Nefarious Hive,” and the Atrae Bilis-writes-for-Hath closer proper “Earthbore.” However, Hal’s skill as a songwriter and performer reaches its peak in album highlights “Ominous Grandeur” and “Lunar Scourge.” These two songs, coming it at the record’s midpoint, match the regal grandeur of Eximperitus and pair it with Hath’s ferocious melodicism. At the same time, there’s a certain measure of introspection and a subtle sadness to these songs that add interesting and affecting dynamics to the experience, allowing the record to leave a lasting mark after it comes to a close.

How the album comes to a close, interestingly, unveils its first and most confusing misfire. Why Engulf decided to separate the closing title track as its own instrumental is beyond me, as the piece is so seamlessly tied to its companion “Earthbore” musically that I’ve never once registered when the shift in track listing occurs. It’s a nonsensical decision that adds nothing of substance to the record. Aside from that bizarre, albeit small, choice, The Dying Planet Weeps truly only suffers when compared to its influences. No bad songs exist here, but some of the less compelling tracks like “The Nefarious Hive” and “Plagued Oblivion” aren’t particularly memorable, and even the stronger pieces lack distinction from their influences. There are too many riffs, patterns, and songwriting pathways in here that sound derivative of older works by longer-lived bands (note the way “The Nefarious Hive” follows almost the exact blueprint used in several tracks on Atrae Bilis’s Apexapien). In those sections, I lose myself to fond memories of other acts’ material instead of fully investing my time and energy embedded within Engulf’s.

Nonetheless, Hal has much to be proud of in The Dying Planet Weeps. As a debut, the professionalism with which it is produced, performed, and written is nothing short of admirable. However, Hal still needs to find his own voice to better inform his undeniable talent. Once he finds that unique voice, Engulf could very quickly become a standout in a field of already excellent death metal creators. Good luck, Hal!

Rating: Good!
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Everlasting Spew Records
Websites: engulfdm.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/engulfdm
Releases Worldwide: January 12th, 2024

#2024 #30 #AbysmalTorment #AmericanMetal #AtraeBilis #BrutalDeathMetal #DeathMetal #Engulf #EverlastingSpewRecords #Eximperitus #Gorguts #Hath #Jan24 #MorbidAngel #ProgressiveDeathMetal #Review #Reviews #TechnicalDeathMetal #TheDyingPlanetWeeps