Afterbirth – In But Not Of (Review)

This is the third album from US death metallers Afterbirth.

Following on from 2020’s Four Dimensional Flesh, In But Not Of contains 36 minutes of devastating brutality that sounds like it was spawned in another dimension.

Existing in a space where the brutal and progressive styles of death metal collide, yet a space that’s entirely of their own making, is the monstrosity known as Afterbirth. This is death metal that’s recognisably of the brutal genre, but that’s been warped and mutated into something more. Taking an expansive view of death metal, Afterbirth splice their abrasive heaviness with progressive streaks, colours, and depths that enrich and enhance the whole. The end result is death metal that’s distinctly of its own breed.

In But Not Of is an immaculately crafted affair, sonically and structurally. The record sounds warm and welcoming, despite its primarily harsh nature, and the songwriting has developed further since Afterbirth’s previous release. Death metal’s gnarled, ugly base aggression is augmented with melody, atmosphere, and creative ideas aplenty. There’s a progressive rock influence that leads to real moments of beauty amidst the carnage. Across the album we’re presented with everything from the traditional to the experimental, and it is all fused together very well into eleven tracks that are extremely satisfying and enjoyable.

This is an exploratory album in many ways. Afterbirth are constantly probing and pushing the boundaries of the style they find themselves in. Upon finding weaknesses, they push harder, leading to the sort of expansive refinements that you’ll find on In But Not Of. Somehow, Afterbirth have managed to simultaneously transcend death metal, while still exemplifying it.

Afterbirth’s latest album is an immense collection of music that blends brutal death metal with colourful textures and immersive progressive layers. It’s an essential listen for anybody that wants more from death metal than you typically get. Don’t miss this.