Arkaik – Labyrinth of Hungry Ghosts (Review)

Arkaik - Labyrinth of Hungry GhostsThis is the sixth album from US death metallers Arkaik.

Back now with a new lineup, (featuring current and ex-members of Singularity, Alterbeast, Dessiderium, and Nullingroots), Labyrinth of Hungry Ghosts boasts 48 minutes of new material. Both 2015’s Lucid Dawn and 2017’s Nemethia were very likeable records, so Arkaik’s new one carries a certain level of expectation. Spoiler alert – it’s been exceeded. Continue reading “Arkaik – Labyrinth of Hungry Ghosts (Review)”

Dessiderium – Aria (Review)

Dessiderium - AriaThis is the fourth album from Dessiderium, a solo progressive death metal act from the US.

Brought to us by a member of Arkaik and NullingrootsAria contains 63 minutes of progressive death metal.

Aria consists of five long and Continue reading “Dessiderium – Aria (Review)”

Continuum – Designed Obsolescence (Review)

Continuum - Designed ObsolescenceContinuum are a technical death metal band from the US, and this is their second album.

Featuring current and ex-members of bands such as Decrepit Birth, Scour, Deeds of Flesh, Arkaik, Allegaeon, Inanimate Existence, Pathology, and Rings of Saturn, before even listening to Designed Obsolescence you know that there’s a wealth of extreme metal experience that’s gone into its forging. Continue reading “Continuum – Designed Obsolescence (Review)”

Arkaik – Nemethia (Review)

ArkaikArkaik are a death metal band from the US and this is their fifth album.

This is technical/progressive death metal, showing a band that have built on the strengths of 2015’s Lucid Dawn and taken them to their logical conclusion on Nemethia. Continue reading “Arkaik – Nemethia (Review)”

Arkaik – Lucid Dawn (Review)

ArkaikArkaik are a Technical Death Metal band from the US. This is their fourth album.

Now this is the stuff. Technical Death Metal that’s complex and forceful yet still manages to retain a sense of song and purpose. Class.

Arkaik merge insane brutality and technicality with a Modern Death Metal sensibility that allows them to reap the benefits of both styles. The combination of complexity and catchiness makes for songs that have both immediate appeal and longevity; the perfect combination in my book.

The vocalist doesn’t drop the ball either. In the face of such impressive musical extremity his deathgrowls are perfectly judged. They are consistent and of the type you would expect for a band like this, but with an emotive and deeply satisfying quality to them that only the best Death Metal vocalists attain.

The songs are wrapped in a production that plays to all of their strengths; balanced and clear, yet without becoming overly sterile. Arkaik sound vibrant and alive, surrounded by serrated riffs, technical workouts, energetic songs and passionate performances.

The potential housed on an album like this is huge. Where else can you find Technical Death Metal that’s accessible, (relatively speaking), interesting, catchy and powerfully wrought? Not many places, that’s for sure.

Top quality stuff.