This is the second album from US death metallers The Eating Cave.
Hot on the heels of Ingurgitate from last year, The Eating Cave have already returned with 36 minutes of new material. Their previous album made a very good impression on me, so it is great to hear some new songs from The Eating Cave so soon. Their brand of modern technical death metal hit the spot for me on their debut, and the same is true with The Miscalculation.
The deathcore elements that were occasionally heard on Ingurgitate have largely been jettisoned; the space they have left behind has been filled with intricate flourishes, savage extremity, and refined songwriting. Across seven tracks The Eating Cave unleash torrents of jagged riffs, frenzied technical workouts, intricate rhythms, and angular leads and solos. It’s a brutal, aggressive affair, and it’s very easy to listen to if you’re a fan of this sort of carnage-causing music.
I really like The Eating Cave’s blend of scathing harsh brutality, dense technical wizardry, and atmospheric enrichment. Their use of melody and synths/effects adds just the right amount of atmosphere to the mayhem, while their sense of songwriting prevents the music from going too far off the rails. The technicality informs the songwriting well, and the band never lose sight of the goal of the music, nor do they neglect the benefits of pure heaviness when needed. There’s a dynamic energy here that won’t be denied, and it’s lent further potency by the increased melodic presence and the band’s lethal singer with his arsenal of growls and screams.
The Miscalculation is another colossal slab of technical brutality from The Eating Cave. It’s a very satisfying and enjoyable listen, and finds the band taking another confident step forward.
Very highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 