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After a six-year hiatus, ESCHATON have returned. Founding guitarist Josh Berry is joined by a jaw-dropping new lineup hailing from the Northeast US that reads like a tech death supergroup. Christian Münzner, formerly of OBSCURA and NECROPHAGIST, unleashes lightning-fast technical guitar prowess, while Mac Smith of APOGEAN and ABYSSALIS delivers raspy guttural growls. Scott Bradley from INANIMATE EXISTENCE brings precision with bass, and Darren Cesca known for his work with PILLORY, as well as formerly with DEEDS OF FLESH and ARSIS, unleashes driving blasts on drums.
Techtalitarian brings exactly what the album name evokes. The technical aspects of the album are immediately apparent, showcasing masterful craftsmanship right from the start. With constantly shifting time signatures and relentless chaos, it’s clear these heavyweights know what they’re doing. The first listen through demands a bit of endurance; for the uninitiated it may be hard to keep up at times. However, if you’ve stayed with them, the payoff is clear, the talent comes through within in all the instruments present in the mix, and you can tell this was a project born from genuine passion for tech death metal.
Inferior Superior opens the album with guitar riffs that glide across the fret board and immediately draw you in, while the vocals range from machine-gun gutturals to witchy screams. Devour the Contrarian delivers aggressive guitar arpeggios, unforgiving blasts from the drums and highlights more of the vocalist’s full range. Blood Of The People drags you further into the world of tech and makes you want to shred air guitar. Hellfire’s Woe begins with atmospherics, an organ plays out creating theatrics, and then comes the guitars. A grunt and then scream drop into sweeping tech goodness. The bass really shows us what he’s made of and keeps driving the track forward throughout, while the grooves from the drums along with guitars keep things dynamic. The incorporated piano maintains the atmospheric feel, and the chorus introduced in the latter half of the track brings out that feeling of fighting a boss in a dungeon.
On The Bellicose Duality the standout elements are the drums and bass, how they come together and drift apart in a rhythmic back and forth, whilst it’s slightly disorientating it demonstrates clear technical skill. Econocracy opens with what sounds like part of an orchestra, harpsichord, brass, and strings create a dramatic crescendo which then drops into pure filth. Antimatter has catchy bass and more sweeps that will keep you headbanging. The track Techtalitarian as well as The Sufferer’s Dichotomy give a bit of breathing room from the intensity but keeps the brutality within the vocals. Castle Strnad may or may not be a subtle nod to a fellow musician, and its more melodic tone provides an uplifting close to a brutally technical album. ESCHATON have made an incredible return. The aggressive and technical style of their new music demonstrates clear growth, and the atmospheric aspects to the album enhance the sound and keeps you coming back.
Rating: 8/10
Techtalitarian is out now via Transcending Obscurity.
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The post ALBUM REVIEW: Techtalitarian – Eschaton appeared first on Distorted Sound Magazine.
