Rings of Saturn – Gidim (Review)

This is the fifth album from Rings of Saturn, a technical deathcore band from the US.

This is synth-enhanced extraterrestrial deathcore, the likes of which is rarely encountered. We last caught up with Rings of Saturn on 2014’s Lugal Ki En, but it seems that time hasn’t slowed them down at all; quite the opposite in fact.

Never your standard deathcore band, Rings of Saturn have put on one of their best showings on Gidim. This album should cater to people that enjoy brutality, while also pleasing those that like ostentatious melody and extreme technicality.

Unusual and atypical guitar playing infests this album, whether this be the eclectic riffs, alien melodies, or face melting solos. The distortion on this album has a very strange quality to it, probably brought about by the use of non-standard guitars; it’s huge and crushing, but in a different way to that of most bands. I wasn’t sure I liked it at first, but it soon grew on me like a particularly thick and destructive virus.

This is progressive and experimental in its quest for ever-more-intense musical expressions. It’s intense and insatiable in its appetite for extremity, and spends most of its time showing off at just how damn good it is. For most bands this level of flashiness would be off-putting, but for Rings of Saturn it’s kind of the point, especially as they have a track record at this point for going completely overboard, while still remaining entertaining.

The inhuman playing is slightly offset by the more familiar style of vocal delivery, which uses growls and screams in a more standard manner when compared with the music itself. They’re performed very well and help humanise the songs, although only slightly, considering the material here. In some ways Gidim could easily have been an instrumental album, (the title tracks is), but I’m glad there are vocals, as the songs would be lacking an important ingredient if they were missing.

Well, this is gloriously all over the place. If you’re looking to forge a deep emotional connection with an album, this isn’t for you. However, if you’re in the market for a feast of ridiculously technical modern extremity, then look no further than Gidim.

Check this out.