This is the second album from US death metallers Thætas.
Across 31 minutes of bone-crushing death metal The Irredeemable Age stomps and rages its way into the world. Brought to us by members of Asystole, Buckshot Facelift, and Reeking Aura, Thætas dish out the punishment in no uncertain terms.
Thætas offer up a compelling mix of brutal death metal and tech death, but laced with dissonance and avant-garde tendencies. The Irredeemable Age will surely be of interest to anyone who favours acts such as Afterbirth, Artificial Brain, Cryptopsy, Defeated Sanity, Disentomb, Wormed, etc.
The Irredeemable Age is well-crafted, performed, and executed. Boasting a satisfying sound that allows the brutality to unfold as it will, the record is an extremely enjoyable one. This is music not for the uninitiated, but if you can stomach the extremity, Thætas have a mass of assets to dig through.
It’s brutal, it’s heavy, but it’s also contorted and twisted. Thætas’ death metal shares a love of the avant-garde edge of a band like Gorguts and the experimental stylings of Afterbirth, but has fused these elements with the technical brutality of Defeated Sanity and Wormed. Throw in the sheer brutal nastiness of Devourment, and you have yourself a record that’s enormously good. There is a sinister atmosphere that coats the music in a cloak of oppressive darkness, adding immeasurably to the overall experience. The Irredeemable Age feels malevolent.
The songs are impactful and forceful, but also contain a wealth of nuances and interesting ideas. These are scattered across the music like splashes of colour in a desolate industrial landscape. Thætas’ savagery is grim and urban, but these little touches add shading to the intricate hostile darkness. This is something that separates Thætas from the pack, ultimately; the creative touches, the streaks of fractured melody, the inclusion of mood and feeling amidst the carnage, it all elevates the music. The core of The Irredeemable Age is above average to start with, but when you add on all of these various enhancements, you have an album that’s placed itself in the top tier.
The Irredeemable Age offers up a masterclass in complex, angular, brutal death metal, and it would be foolish to ignore it. It’s violently murderous, but also strangely affecting; Thætas smash you down savagely, but then neatly arrange your corpse with great respect.
Essential listening for fans of atypical death metal.
Wonderbox Metal 