Beginning to enter the final stages of our Advent Of The Year, we have seen many a different band emerge this year. Some relative new comers others seasoned favourites. We have seen evolution in song writing, be it slow or fast. Batting in the technical death metal arena, having released their second album after their critically acclaimed debut Beyond Creation delivered the fantastic alliteration worship Earthborn Evolution.
Beyond Creation – Earthborn Evolution
Already being at the top of their game technically speaking, the band are all masters of their respective instruments, this is where, first release The Aura soared to great heights but fell short in the song writing. Earthborn Evolution see’s them refine their skills. By no means any less technical but a lot more integrating, many a time due to the over complex passages in tech death you can end up adrift in a maze of riffs and solo’s . Throughout the ten track album Beyond Creation clearly have defined songs , using various influences from as out there as the final notes of “Theatrical Delirium” which had the classic Star Wars Cantina Band not been available, would have filled in nicely.
Among this though what stands out is the sheer sense of melody employed by the tech death titans. With some of the tracks having the melodic impact and experimentality of the Death classic The Sound Of Perseverance. The excellent title track “Earthborn Evolution” begins with a melodic introduction which follows us throughout the song, changing the tempo up from the breakneck tremolo picking blast beats is a welcome change, not to mention a fairly ballsy one. The commanding imperial march sound is still present in final track “Fundamental Process” whose end leaves a ghost in the machine like sound with the final echo. What Beyond Creation bring to the table that no tech death band can offer is the sheer dimensional output, no song sounds too similar. In the writing process its clear that Beyond Creation know their audience ensuring that the songs are enough to show technical flair but not oversaturated ego massaging.
The album doesn’t overstay it welcome either, with the entire thing clocking in at 46 minutes the songs are carefully picked to ensure that they don’t wade too far away from the principle this band drive from. Leaving you enough time to drink in the various soundscapes but not over saturating. The Aura although a great stepping stone was at times a little over the top. With songs seemingly being long for the sake of it, what Beyond Creation have done is trimmed the fat, neatly streamlined an album that is as awe inspiring as it is catchy. Melding melodic riffs which nestle in the subconscious, painting a fantastic picture of their antiutopian dreamland to have you humming all through the year. A fantastic release from a peerless band.
