Tech Death Thursday: Infinite Density
We’re long overdue for a talk about Infinite Density. It’s Tech Death Thursday!
New songs and stuff:
- Check out “Abrogation,” the newest tune from Ulcerate, streaming over at CLRVYNT. It’s very Ulceratey, which is to say that it’s very good, very heavy, and a bit weird. You can catch Ulcerate on tour in the US (and Toronto and Montreal) with Zhrine and Phobocosm this November (dates in the link above).
- Speaking of weird, give a listen to this new Azooma song. It’s undoubtedly modern progressive death, but has some old-school tinges to it that I imagine will please many of your discerning ears. Look for The Act of Eye on October 10th.
- Axioma has a new song out as well. If you’re into the dense atmospheric styles of bands like the aforementioned Ulcerate or Nero Di Marte, you’ll definitely want to keep an eye on this one. Monolith will be out on September 24th.
- Wastewalker released another new track from the upcoming Funeral Winds, entitled “Hazmat Birth.” Of the three they’ve put out so far, this one is the most conventional, but also the most fun. Funeral Winds releases on November 8th.
- The new Virvum album is incredible. Go listen to it. Then go buy it tomorrow.
- After touring relentlessly for the past two years, Origin have entered the studio once more. Interestingly, this marks the first time they’ve kept the same full lineup between albums.
- Crator, featuring an absolutely monstrous lineup composed of John Longstreth (Origin, Unmerciful, ex-Gorguts), Jason Keyser (Origin, Mucopus, ex-Skinless), Jeff Leifer (Foaming At The Mouth, Tentacles), and Colin Marston (literally every band ever), dropped their debut today. Swing by here for a copy of The Ones Who Create The Ones Who Destroy.
Before we really get started, let’s take a minute to admire that album cover. It’s very crisp and clear, a stark contrast to the visceral swathes of color or murky visuals of their contemporaries. There’s a lot going on, but it’s not cluttered; each of its individual components are clear and organized, allowing the eye to naturally explore outwards from its focal points. It’s both simple and busy, and it’s a pleasure to look at.
In a lot of respects, the music is very similar to the cover art. Infinite Density, the brainchild of Ne Obliviscaris bassist Cygnus (joined by Hadal Maw vocalist Ben Boyle), is a shining beacon of pure songwriting chops in a wasteland of wankery. Though the music is complex (this is tech death, after all), it’s quite easy to follow even through multiple time signature and key changes within a single song. Even at its fastest, it never goes over the rails. There’s an indelible sense of control present in all aspects of the music, which should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with Cygnus’s playing in NeO. His enthralling and emotional playing style is in full force here, expanded from the bass guitar to all instruments. It shines through the most in the guitar solos and leads, largely abstaining from scalar shredding in favor of atypical intervals and arpeggios. The title track illustrates this best, with a fantastic solo starting near the middle and popping in and out for the rest of its duration.
The best parts of Recollapse of the Universe are when everything slows down. Headbangable as the riffs may be, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as hearing every part fall perfectly in step with each other in a sweeping progressive movement. Bass melodies and warm leads build off complex foundations of both electric and clean guitar, rising and falling dramatically at each turn. All of this flows together perfectly with the heavier aspects of the music, making it for a captivating and diverse ride throughout.
I feel like Recollapse has gotten surprisingly little attention considering its strength, not to mention the artists’ musical backgrounds. It’s both unique and accessible, and it’s one of the best tech albums to come out this year. If you like what you heard, you can follow Infinite Density on Facebook and pick up the album at Bandcamp. That’s all for this week, and until next time,
(Image VIA)
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