Hey there tech-fiends! It seems like a good number of you enjoyed the hybridized style of Invidiosus in last week's edition which served as an early stream of their new release. While the early stream train was set to continue on into this week's edition, a certain band "led" by piss poor amateurs whom I will not name derailed this by not getting me what was needed to help them stream their record today like we had originally scheduled it for several weeks ago. Their loss really, so as a substitute, we will delve into other lesser known 2016 tech-death gems I've been compiling on a list to cover in between weeks devoted to stream posts. But since this change was so last minute, the write ups will be shorter than normal, and for that I apologize. As always, if you dig what you hear below, any and all prior editions of this series can be perused here.
Torturous Inception- Void
Some of you may recall Staten Island natives Torturous Inception from our initial coverage of the group at the very beginning of this year belatedly highlighting their 2015 effort, Headfirst Into Oblivion. Little did I know the band were set to drop another new effort this year in the form of Void. Much like their past works, Torturous Inception on Void brew a fascinating blend of brutal death metal, slam, and tech-death influences colliding and intersecting in a violent and unpredictable way at all times. Except this time on Void, the band has proven themselves capable of further refining and streamlining their already powerful sound. In the end, Void offers a best of all world's approach, one both savagely bludgeoning, as swift and virulent as necrotizing fasciitis, yet also quite capable of slamming you effortlessly into the bowels of hell. If you dig what you hear, you can purchase Voids over at their Bandcamp page. Be sure to give them a like over at their Facebook page too!
Slave One- Disclosed Dioptric Principles
As usual, after showing you a brutal onslaught, we move on to the more prog oriented side of technical death metal with Slave One. This French progressive death metal group has been active for a number of years, although I'll admit I didn't invest as much time in their prior 2012 EP, Cold Obscurantist Light, as I probably should have. Lucky for me, I was tipped off that their 2016 full-length, Disclosed Dioptric Principles was a hell of a record well worth delving into. And it seems those who told me so are right, as this album is one hell of a complex mixture of old school and new school tech/prog. death styles. Ranging from groups like Death, Cynic, Atheist, and Pestilence spiked with more modern influences from groups like Obscura and Necrophagist.
The combined collision between separate progressive death metal worlds throughout each track of Disclosed Dioptric Principles is nothing short of inspired and fresh sounding from start to finish. There's a lot to unpack on this release, but it never feels needlessly "busy", instead its grandiose nature feels both authentic and cohesive at all times. If you enjoy any of the groups mentioned above that Slave One lists as influences, you'll be pleased with their unique amalgamation of ideas drawing from decades of rich progressive death and tech-death metal foundations. If you dig what you hear, you can purchase the album over at their label's Bandcamp page. Be sure to give them a like over at their Facebook page too!
