Artificial Brain – Infrared Horizon (Review)

This is the second album from US technical death metal band Artificial Brain.

How to describe this?

Right, here’s some words that are all relevant to Infrared Horizon in some way – brutal, technical, progressive, dissonant, atmospheric, ambitious.

Clear?

Good.

Okay, what else? Well, the recording is sharp and abrasive enough to be dangerous. Listening to Infrared Horizon is like being covered in caustic chemicals and watching your skin burn and peel off. Is this a good thing? Normally no, but in this case the only correct response is “more please”.

Vocally the singer of Artificial Brain does his best pignoise impression that’s just the right side of ridiculous. I love it when a vocalist does ultra-guttural growls, as long as they don’t go too far down the pignoise route; here, it’s just right, and the singer’s voice is the bluntest, ugliest thing about these songs. I could listen to him all day.

Oh and there’s some screaming and some guest vocalists too, but what about those grunts, eh?

This really is music that’s on an entirely other level. You rarely hear death metal that combines brutality, atmosphere, technicality, and progressive themes into one well-rounded release. The quality and execution of the songwriting is superb, with the band producing songs that create an impact in every way – mental, emotional, visceral, even almost physical!

Ouch.

The album is also rammed full with sci-fi themes that manage to seep through into the music, providing another aspect of the band to enjoy in addition to everything else they’ve got going on.

I really can’t say enough good things about this. I love death metal at the best of times, but when you happen upon something as good and as individual as this…well, it’s just love at first listen.

So, technical death metal with inventive compositions, serrated ideas, bass you could knock yourself out with, and enough brutal progressive workouts that you’d do yourself an injury if you actually tried to dance to these maniacs? Sign me up!

Infrared Horizon rules. I, for one, welcome our new android overlords.