Inanimate Existence – Clockwork (Review)

Inanimate Existence are a US progressive death metal band and this is their fifth album.

Inanimate Existence have always impressed. Their blend of progressive, technical, and atmospheric death metal has always been well-written, inventive, and thoroughly enjoyable. So far, they have a prolific streak of high quality work, and Clockwork only adds to this, I’m pleased to report.

Each Inanimate Existence album, (such as A Never-Ending Cycle of Atonement, Calling from a Dream, and Underneath a Melting Sky), finds the band updating and altering their sound in some way. Clockwork strikes me as a continuation of their sound on Underneath a Melting Sky, spliced with some of the longer-form elements from A Never-Ending Cycle of Atonement. This is only a rough comparison, however, as Clockwork also shows the band continuing to push themselves and develop their already fully-formed sound even further.

On Clockwork the band’s ability to mix crushing brutality with technical workouts, progressive structures, and atmosphere is probably at its most refined and expressive. Increasingly intense, yet also melodic, these songs are exceedingly moreish. As soon as you’ve listened to the album you instantly want to play it over again.

Highly impressive, extremely enjoyable, and effortlessly compelling, Clockwork is yet another sterling release from a very talented band.

Very highly recommended.