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Here we have yet another techy brutal death(core) act straight out of Canada in its natural habitat. The basis of Manitoba's Anomalism centers around a mixture of very fast-paced Cryptopsy/AEON-esque riffage with mixed high/low vocals and some influences of the core variety also being thrown in. And, since the band's very recent inception just earlier last year in 2018, there is a ton for these unsigned heroes to live up to. Can they stack up? Let's allow their debut EP release to be the judge of that...
Parasitic Spawn is the foreboding title of Anomalism's very first release and independently unveiled EP that's been out since January of 2019 now. This subtle, yet at the same time brutal and techy five song composition still features quite a bit to take note of and to pique the interest of many a tech death fanatic. You've got your slammy artwork, interchanging guitars and vocals, as well as mastering work courtesy of Ryan Forsyth of Dissolution.
It all starts off with 'Vicious Fiction': an opening track that gets right down to business without any buildup or fillers. It's a fairly decent song with some fresh tech death riffs and low growls mixed in with high overdubs throughout. They also change it up with a new, Fallujah-esque transition riff with melodies in the second half, which was nice to hear. 'Cryptosphere' is a fast song with mostly tremolo riffs and some breakdowns and slams (with a guitar solo) towards the end.
So far my personal fave. However, after these first couple of songs, this 17-minute EP gets even more interesting in the latter half. 'Parasitic Spawn' as a song is just alright, but I really enjoyed 'Plagues of Cognizance' for its roaring rhythm and melodies that lead into Cryptopsy-like verses. 'Plagues of Cognizance' also happens to be my overall fave off of this EP due to the transitions and structure of the melodeath-esque second half of the song as well. 'The Waiting Room' is also great if you're a fan of vocal variety. Part of me just kind of wishes they juggled the melodeath and brutal aspects more in the first song or two.
To conclude on a high note, Anomalism's first EP is one of a few surprises and some good promise on the part of its heavy blast beats, fast guitar shredding action and somewhat addicting vocals. It's got some other stuff here and there like a few of the breakdowns mentioned and such; however, this subtle EP is more of a showcasing of what the band has to offer in terms of brutal technicality and modern-style death metal tropes and, for that, we're greatful.
Fave Tracks: 'Cryptosphere', 'Plagues of Cognizance', 'The Waiting Room'
For Fans Of: Cryptopsy, Decrepit Birth
**This release is available now here!**
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-Review by: Dave Raffy
Musician, reviewer, fan & promoter
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