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/:: Artist :: Blood Incantation ::\
:: Album :: Starspawn ::
:: Year :: 2016 ::
:: __ _ _ __ ::
-:--\\-----------------------------------------------------------------//--:-
:: \ / ::
:: . Genre :: Death Metal Source :: CDDA . ::
:: Label :: Dark Descent Records R.date :: 2017.01.31 ::
_::__ Cat.nr. :: DDR157CD Size :: 64,21 MB __::_
::// \\::
::/---------------------------------------------------------------------\::
:: ::
/: Encoder :: LAME 3.98.4 -V0 :\
..: Bitrate :: avg. 258kbps : .
. Quality :: 44,1kHz/Joint Stereo .
. .
Website :: https://www.facebook.com/Blood-incantation-508899805936788/
__ __ _ . : _ ____ _ _ ____ _ : . _ __ __
.\\\\------- : | ---\ /---------------------\ /--- | : -------////.
+/ -\------- | | ----\ tracklist /---- | | -------/- \+
/: . : : . :\
/:: ::\
:: 01. Vitrification of Blood (Part 1) 13:09 ::
:: 02. Chaoplasm 05:34 ::
:: 03. Hidden Species (Vitrification of Blood Part 2) 07:01 ::
:: 04. Meticulous Soul Devourment 04:16 ::
:: 05. Starspawn 04:20 ::
:: ------- ::
.. >> 34:20 ..
__ __ _ . : _ ____ _ _ ____ _ : . _ __ __
.\\\\------- : | ---\ /---------------------\ /--- | : -------////.
+/ -\------- | | ----\ release notes /---- | | -------/- \+
/: . : : . :\
/:: ::\
:: ::
:: The endless darkness, desolation, intriguing mystery and ::
:: suffocating atmosphere of space pairs well with metal. ::
:: Science fiction themes, dystopian futures and extra ::
:: terrestrial shenanigans are all familiar sources of ::
:: inspiration in the metal scene, however Colorado up and ::
:: comers Blood Incantation do a particularly excellent job of ::
:: nailing down the dense reality, claustrophobic atmosphere ::
:: and otherworldly vibe of our mysterious universe on their ::
:: hugely impressive full-length debut, Starspawn. These old ::
:: school loving space cadets with a forward thinking attitude ::
:: are another young band hellbent on stripping away the overly ::
:: slick, artificial sheen so prevalent in modern death metal ::
:: in favor of the grimy atmospherics, sonic girth and ::
:: uncleansed ugliness of death metal's rich past. Blood ::
:: Incantation are set to cash in on the considerable potential ::
:: they displayed on 2015's Interdimensional Extinction EP, ::
:: ramming home the advantage with this debut LP of serious ::
:: fucking magnitude. ::
:: ::
:: Starspawn touches on the oozing-with-evil atmospheric streak ::
:: of classic Morbid Angel and the tweaked harmonies and brain ::
:: scrambling experimentation of Demilich and Gorguts, looking ::
:: to the past for inspiration while casting their own ::
:: innovative spell. Masterful songcraft, striking innovation ::
:: and dynamically sound compositions propel Blood Incantation ::
:: into unknown pockets of blackness as they navigate astutely ::
:: through technically proficient and dense death pastures, ::
:: funereal dirges, strange otherworldly zones and tripped-out ::
:: passages of psychedelic exploration. Blood Incantation's ::
:: impressive rhythm section is integral to the thunderous, ::
:: low-end assault and intricate, groovy foundation, however ::
:: it's the formidable guitar work of Paul Riedl and Morris ::
:: Kolontyrsky that steals the show. Corkscrewing leads, ::
:: screaming solos, thick, warmed-up death riffs and trippy ::
:: detours are deftly handled, their dynamic teamwork suitably ::
:: stocked with clever shifts in mood and tempo. The riffs are ::
:: technical without being showy, whether fast and furious or ::
:: slow and crushing, leaning towards the cavernous yet ::
:: memorable, atmospheric and groovy end of the death spectrum. ::
:: ::
:: Mind altering psychedelic detours add to the album's ::
:: mystique and are executed without an ounce of pretension or ::
:: gimmick on epic 13 minute opener "Vitrification of Blood ::
:: (Part 1)." Without doubt one of the most ambitious and ::
:: surreal death metal jams you'll hear in 2016, the epic tune ::
:: leaves nothing left in the tank. Driven by Isaac Faulk's ::
:: rhythmically tricky and hammering percussion, it grips from ::
:: the opening notes and doesn't relent through a captivating ::
:: feast of death metal awesomeness. Running the gamut from ::
:: death and doom, to psych excursions and pummeling groove, ::
:: Blood Incantation effortlessly shifts gears throughout a ::
:: cohesive and flowing structure, avoiding clunky transitions. ::
:: "Hidden Species (Vitrification of Blood Part 2)" stands out ::
:: with a bludgeoning mix of death metal brawn and brains, ::
:: developing from a complex beginning of brutish groove into a ::
:: moody death-doom mindfuck, complete with strange clean ::
:: chants and other effect-driven oddities. Closer "Starspawn" ::
:: ends the album with an intergalactic bang, its progressive ::
:: swing and insidious melody offset by a primitive old school ::
:: pummel and blasty punch. Starspawn also benefits from ::
:: restraint, with the compact and refreshingly punchy 34- ::
:: minute run time strongly supporting repeat listens. ::
:: ::
:: Recorded entirely in analog, Starspawn's throwback sound ::
:: feels neither forced nor dated. To the contrary, the album's ::
:: impressive dynamics, warm organic sound and punchy, balanced ::
:: tones offer something vibrant and inviting, flipping the ::
:: bird to the soulless, overly polished tripe that remains all ::
:: too familiar in the modern death metal scene. The drums ::
:: sound especially huge and powerful, especially the chest ::
:: thumping double bass, the fretless bass nestles cozily in ::
:: the mix, while the thick and meaty guitars retain enough ::
:: detail, sharpness and clarity for closer dissection. Issues ::
:: are few and far between, mostly boiling down to the ::
:: sequencing of the album's five tracks. Opening with a 13- ::
:: minute monster, regardless of how good the song is, this was ::
:: a ballsy move but I'm not sure how logical it turned out to ::
:: be. Meanwhile penultimate track "Meticulous Soul Devourment" ::
:: would have worked better smack in the middle of the album, ::
:: serving as an eerily effective and ominous instrumental ::
:: transition. ::
:: ::
:: Blood Incantation eschew the flash and pitfalls of modern ::
:: death metal, displaying a deep appreciation for the roots ::
:: and raw essence of the genre's early '90s heyday. Despite ::
:: their respectful old-school appreciation they don't sound ::
:: like another typical retro clone, standing out from the pack ::
:: with innovative songwriting, creating their own original ::
:: deathly design. Superbly written and crafted, Starspawn is ::
:: an exceptional album full of memorable moments, top notch ::
:: songwriting and oppressive atmosphere, comfortably residing ::
:: near the top of 2016's death metal heap. ::
:: ::
:: . _ _ . ::
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