The Pitch: Kansas City tech death group Ahtme follow up the righteously repugnant Sewerborn with the even more impressive Mephitic once again via Unique Leader Records. FFO: Archspire, Abnormality, Aborted
What I Like: Athme (formerly The Roman Holiday) appear to be another band on the rise. Their growth was already apparent on 2018's Sewerborn, and the songwriting and performances have only tightened substantially since then. Leading tracks "Swarm of Fools" and "Putrid Perforation" are a flurry of sharply honed technical riffs and Cannibal Corpse vocals that are the definition of heavy in the modern age. Not to be outdone, "Node" sounds as if the drummer and guitarist are vying for the title of "most talented band member," dueling relentless hooks and a ripping melodic solo against dizzying, ever-shifting rhythm patterns. And it doesn't take long for the obvious infectious qualities of deeper cuts like "Dent" and "Devourment Empowerment" to burrow under the skin like the scarabs from The Mummy. Remember those? Good quarantine rewatch.
Critiques: While the current improvements have overcome my previous complaints of tracks that feel "generic," I'm still not getting enough sense of individualized personality that bands generally require to truly rise from the muck.
The Verdict: Mephitic is certainly the band's most consistent and accomplished album to date with it highly concentrated 37 minute runtime. Ahtme aren't interested in wasting a second of your time, and it shouldn't be long until they find their way into your regular listening rotation whether you intend on it or not.
Flight's Fav's: Putrid Perforation, Node, Dent
- Review by FlightOfIcarus
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