A grinding death metal duo from Canada that, to my great dismay, uses a drum machine, which really disrupts the flow and clarity of this ragingly fast, complex, and energetic material. I like a lot of the writing because a hugely diverse range of influences are at work, just check out "Espousing the Lore of Ancient Mythos", effortlessly jumping from fast thrash to classic heavy metal melodies, discordant black metal, or rhythmic breakdowns - all with a cacophony of vocal styles (layers of growling, snarling, screaming, etc.). At times there are some really weird quirks that bring to mind Cradle of Filth, and "Discerning Thee Apocryphal Divinity" shifts from a weird ska type of progression to slow and pounding doom of the finest caliber, but some of that strangeness is a little too out there for the songs to remain cohesive. And that brings me to my only other complaint about this disc: It's a little busy, both in the recording and the layering of instrumentation. The tones aren't that bad, and hell, the drums are programmed exceptionally fucking well, I'll hand it to 'em, but shit... I just can't get into those machinated tones of the drums at all. I don't know. The machines just lack warmth and overpower a lot of an already busy mix. I'm definitely not a fan of all the vocal layering, as there's no need for it at all, and I think that without the over the top vocal tradeoffs and layering, and with live drums, the riffs would have a ton more breathing room, and this would be an amazing effort were that the case. Because it seems to me that the playing is very tight here, and the writing, at its best, is top fucking notch. I'm really a fan of the energy and sheer force of the speed these guys utilize, and they rarely let up. Fuck it, when they do let up, it's impressive as well! Just check out the beautiful acoustic guitar instrumental "Squalid Eyes of the Impending Treachery". The guitar and bass play against one another perfectly, and the basslines aren't simple, I just wish I could discern more of what was specifically going on without having to try so hard to hear around the drums and vocals. Admittedly some of the vocals are a little weak compared to the music, but it's nothing that can't be remedied with minimal effort. The layout's alright. The cover art and logo are really busy so even though once you really look at it the art is a bit shoddy, it ends up looking pretty cool somehow, ha. They call themselves "Northern Mystigrind", though they spell it "Nothern" on the side of the traycard (Oops!). But I'm sort of impressed by the lyrics, though they can be mildly cheesy, if for no other reason than the songs are incredibly long and involved, divided into subheadings and whatnot, at times getting more narrative, and dealing with concepts of an antichristian nature, touching on a few Morbid Angel-esque moments as well. "Nothing exists of what you once fought so wantonly for, Your immortal lives have come to end, Stoop down, unto the darkly shining abyss, Dead and no longer dreaming." This band could be incredibly cool under the right circumstances. Right now it's an impressive disc that I can't fully get into because there are a lot of distractions with the sound and the arrangements of the mix. But talent is indeed a big factor here, and I think these two guys have what it takes to put the pieces together in a way that will really blow some minds in the future.
[Discorporate]
Running time - 37:55, Tracks: 8
[Notable tracks: Espousing the Lore of Ancient Mythos, Squalid Eyes of the Impending Treachery]
Cephalectomy - http://www.cephalectomy.com
