Beyond Creation "Algorythm" (2018)

Although I was mostly unimpressed by their last effort Earthbound Evolution, the Canadian Technical Death Metal outfit always deserve a look in after their impressive arrival onto the scene with the viral Omnipresent single. Since its release Ive listened to Algorythm over and over, soaking the deep web of music and coming to the realization that its greatness lies where it deviates from the bands own normality. It has some unusual compositions buried between the walls of music both brutal in aesthetic and dexterity. By letting the Progressive side to their sound flourish, Beyond Creation have forged some fantastically engaging music at times.

One of the first and most obvious new avenues they engage with comes on the third track Surface's Echos. It opens with lavish, reverberated eight string acoustic tones akin to Animals As Leaders and Plini. The opening distortion riff even mimics the use of unusual fretting sound with rhythmic sequences. Its a small moment but its comes around again in the following track. There are other paths the music takes that feels inherently different and it usual comes about in climactic melodic as the unrelenting knitting of instruments finds its respite, unleashing smooth atmospheres and scenic moments that lead the music away from the pummeling grind.

Its a breath of fresh air released against a flow of dizzying musicianship that crams whirling drums, slippery high end baselines and dexterous guitar riffs into almost every moment it can. Its a dense wall of sound that can be picked apart thanks to the marvels of modern production and the band truly embrace the clarity given to them. Three interchanging guitars and the monstrous drumming of Boucher endows the songs with a depth you'll be picking apart for quite some time. Unfortunately on the vocal front this record is dull. Girard takes a singular dimensional approach, blasts of guttural belly aches sound at home when backed by blast beats but in the musics expansive moments the screams sound sour. Its a firm drawback.

They go all out with their compositions but for all the technical marvel of seasoned musicianship it is nothing without direction. Many of these songs are lengthy and with that time they tie the foray of loaded blast beat laden grinds into progressive epics, usually spurred on by the eruption of a scaling lead guitar, opening the song to its next elevation. Its where the record shines, and the more they embrace this over the tropes of the genre, the better the music is. Luckily the balance is pretty steady and so the whole thing plays with a frequent shifting in intensity where one can fist pump with the methodical brutality and still embrace its bigger sense of self.

Favorite Tracks: Ethereal Kingdom, Algorythm, In Adversity

Rating: 7/10

Beyond Creation "Earthborn Evolution" (2014)

Canadian Death Metal outfit "Beyond Creation" from Montreal are back with another healthy serving of their tightly performed, squeaky clean technical onslaught of growling gutturals, crunchy guitars, fancy leads and tactical drumming. They caught my attention with a viral video of their song "Omnipresent", standing aside from other bands for two distinct reasons. Firstly the fretless bass, a bright colorful sound that bounces and slides its way from the background to foreground in a tasteful manor. Secondly the overall aesthetic is crisp and orchestrated with a delightful balance between the instrumentals which compliment one another in a genre that can often be plagued by emphasis on brutal tones. Their debut "The Aura" was an interesting one and I have kept an eye out awaiting a second record, which arrived late last year.

"Earthborn Evolution" is a cautious step forward for the band, working within the same frame they set for their selves as on "The Aura". In terms of production the most notable change is the drums, slightly softer, less of a sharp sting to them, otherwise it could almost be the same record. Musically its a continuation too, not a lot of evolution in style or experimentation, the band play out ten tracks of enjoyable high-octane technical death thats continually frenetic, shifting mercilessly with grindy riffage and shuffling blast beats while the fretless bass dances around between the instrumental onslaught. Constantly rearranging themselves, these songs unfold like a tapestry of ideas being unwound and stitched back together as the guitars and bass dance around one another with complimenting ideas the exhausting drumming narrates with its continual hammering. The guttural vocals come in with force and power over the top of the musical onslaught, they are captured with a textural quality that amplifies the brutality through that texture, as opposed to volume or force. It has a strange effect of leaving these songs feeling complete with or without their presence. When they come in they add a new dimension, but one thats not felt in its absence.

For all thats good and said there is a big negative. Across the 46 minutes of technical bliss there is little that feels memorable. It is pleasant to listen through each song musically unwinding its way through its gorgeous aesthetic, but never does it "strike a nerve" like "Omnipresent" did. There are a few share of unique moments, like the speedy bass fretting on "Theatrical Delirium", but its impact is momentary. After listening through several times it is apparent that for all they do right there is a certain spark needed thats absence can not be disguised. A good record needs to leave you with music you can't get out of you head, and despite being a great listening experience there was nothing here that did it for me on that level.

Rating: 5/10