The Pitch: The debut EP from San Jose, California-based technical death metal outfit Mordant Rapture through The Artisan Era. "The Abnegation is a five-song whirlwind of symphonic and blackened technical death metal influenced by the grandiose nature of film scores and also by groups such as Spawn of Possession, Emperor, Necrophagist, and Dissection."
What I Like: 2017 was clearly the year of tech death, but things have been a little quiet for the genre in 2018. There have been a few high points here and there, but The Abnegation marks the moment when s#!t gets real. I cannot believe that this is the band's first release. Flawless, engaging performances are perfectly captured by the incredible depth of the production. I feel like I'm right there in the studio taking in blazing guitar riffs and the formidable blackened vocals. Rodrigo Rodríguez sounds like an absolute monster mixing up brutal growls with throaty snarls. And these guys are FAST. From the drums to the bass, every member of this band lays down machine gun pacing backed by impeccable skill. To top this off, Mordant Rapture also incorporate an impressive array of simulated symphonic instruments that cement comparisons to groups like Fleshgod Apocalypse. With clamoring classical piano and sultry string arrangements, it's like Reaping Asmodeia collided with Wagner.
Critiques: This is pretty much a flawless EP. It's not the most original thing out there, but there's plenty to love about it.
The Verdict: The Abnegation is a breathtaking bit of technical death metal bursting with talent and greatly elevated by the impressive symphonic additions. While it's only 5 tracks, one being a moody piano interlude, every one of them is 100% quality with not a single dead moment. Awesome sauce. Can't wait to hear more. These guys are going places.
Flight's Fav's: Withered, Natal Trophies
- Review by FlightOfIcarus
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