Tech Death Thursday: Vermingod and Pronostic
The structural integrity of your face was spared last week. Let’s rectify that with double the tech.
First for some widdly tidbits:
- Tech death heroes Vale of Pnath (which I steadfastly refuse to believe is pronounced any way other than “P-nath”) have launched a Kickstarter running for their second full length, complete with nerdtastic video. If the Guitar Pro tracks used in the video are indication, this album will be leagues ahead of their first in terms of songwriting.
- Vipassi have a new song ready and waiting to caress your eager earholes.
- Abhorrent’s Intransigence and Contrarian’s Polemic both dropped last Monday on Willowtip. Stop whatever you’re doing and go buy them.
- This week on “Deathcore Bands That Don’t Suck,” we have Thirteen Bled Promises with The Black Legend. The band has grown a lot since 2012’s Heliopause Fleets, relying far less on br00tal breakdowns and bringing some nasty riffage to the table.
- Ending Tyranny have released their sophomore effort, Evolution of Deceit. Also not for those averse to deathcore.
- Milwaukee-based Khazaddum have emerged from their dwarven caverns with their Tolkien-inspired debut EP, In Dwarven Halls. It definitely sounds appropriately, uh, dwarfy with its use of timpanis, dirty production, and imposing harmonies. Plus, it’s name-your-price!
- If your broke ass can’t afford all this sweet, sweet tech, don’t worry: Empirine has your back. The Vermilion King is much lighter (and probably more tasteful) than many of the bands featured here today, so if you’re looking for something proggy, synth-driven, and free, this is your album.
- Spawning Abhorrence have announced the release of The Sleepless One for next year on Kings of Decay Records with a new single, “The Writhing Rhetoric.” Check it out here.
- This next song is so tech it’s named after tech. Check out “Tech Death,” from Formless’s long-awaited Eon for the techest tech to ever arch a spire. (No, really- it’s actually really good)
Starting the subject line of your promo with “FFO: Allegaeon, Arsis” is a good way to get my undivided attention. When I hit play on An Atomic Decision, I was initially disappointed that it didn’t really resemble either of the former, but that disappointment faded quickly as it proved to be just as beastly. Pronostic play in the same field as Son of Aurelius, using their considerable technical skill to craft razor-sharp melodic death metal with equal degrees of style and substance. Each song is a veritable cornucopia of riffs; they rarely return to an idea, but remain cohesive by starting with a theme and building around it.
If I had to level one complaint against this album, it’s the lack of bass presence. While the other instruments each fit snugly together in the mix, the bass is disappointingly low. This isn’t something I’d normally bring up, but with this particular style of tech death, the bass has a lot of room to do some cool stuff. That potential is unfortunately squandered on this album, but I can see them bringing it forth in the future. Minor complaints aside, An Atomic Decision is an excellent album worthy of any tech- or melodeath-head’s time.
Up next we have Vermingod with Whisperer of the Abysmal Wisdom. In case the name didn’t give it away, these dudes are of a much darker persuasion than Pronostic. Whisperer oozes a thick Kronos vibe, with the same tightly honed brutality, and could have easily occupied a place in their discography between The Hellenic Terror and Arisen New Era. Though this is certainly brutal death, the hailstorm of blastbeats occasionally parts to unveil a pulverising groove. These moments are some of the most headbangable on the album, “Shades in my Sleep” and “Half A God” standing out in particular.
So there you have it; two great tastes that taste great together. Or something. If you like what you heard, be sure to check out Vermingod and Pronostic on Facebook and pick up their shit on Bandcamp. Your support keeps the machine turning. Until next time,
