STARSPAWN

BLOOD INCANTATION has become one of death metal's most celebrated bands in the last few years and has really captured the imagination with its latest Timeghoul inspired sound on 2019's "Hidden History of the Human Race" but the band has been around since 2011. Formed in Denver, Colorado, this band that mixes Morbid Angel style death metal with progressive rock and psychedelia took a few years to craft its alienating deathened doom metal sound that has popularized the fledgling scene of psychedelic death metal which in many ways is right of the Timeghoul playbook but whereas that band released only two demos and faded into obscurity, the influences reverberate to the modern era and it looks like BLOOD INCANTATION is the band that is successfully fulfilling the lost promises in the 21st century.

The band's first release was an EP in the form of 2015's "Interdimensional Extinction" which displayed the band's flirtations with psychedelically tinged death metal rampages fused with doom metal sluggishness and long meandering bouts of atonal passages most remnant of Morbid Angel's "Domination" era. The love of sci-fi and alt history percolates in the themes and subject matter and then musically all dressed up in meandering progressive compositions that find various passages creating well thought out compositions that add a breath of fresh air to the world of death metal and while technically fitting in with the technical death metal crowd, BLOOD INCANTATION has been more about progressive rock style developments over the flashy incessant bombast of many modern tech death units however this band isn't afraid to strut its technical prowess when needed.

STARSPAWN is the band's full-length debut which cemented its status as the newest darling of death metal with its already coalesced classical form. With only five tracks that clock in a just under 35 minutes, BLOOD INCANTATION hit the ground running on this debut with doom-laden tracks that infuse lengthy progressive workouts that meander through a cold, vacuous soundscape that generates both atmospheric angst while delivering thorough and sinewy metal rampage. In many ways the music matches the apocalyptic visions of the album cover with dystopian sci-fi themes enshrouded with angular down-tuned guitar riffs, suffocating sulfuric atmospheres and uncensored ugliness complete with Paul Reidl's best tortured monster vocals that merge with the progressively infused dirge-like flows of workouts. While Timeghoul and Morbid Angel are the primary influences, BLOOD INCANTATION rises above the limitations of being retro and infused a touch of Demilich, Gorguts and other tech death craftsmanship to the mix.

The album bursts into action with the 13 minute "Vitrification of Blood (Part I)" which wastes no time creating massive sprawling and gnarled guitar riffs that instantly displays a more mind-altering display of classic old school death metal with modern infusions of angularity and progressive fusion. While tracks alternate between melody and dissonance, so too do they exhibit heavy death metal bombast with off-road side trips into psychedelic atmospheric headiness most readily experienced on the track "Meticulous Soul Devourment" which breaks the gravitational pull of the the more down-to-Earth limiting factors of the death metal orotundity. The best part of all is that BLOOD INCANTATION masters the balancing act of creating a logical trajectory that incorporates all of the aforementioned elements without sounding trite or forced in any way. Much like the expansive holistic sounds of Timeghoul, BLOOD INCANTATION proves that the band's early and forgotten experiments were more than worthy of further development and all of that is on display on STARSPAWN.

"Starspawn" is the debut full-length studio album by US, Colorado based death metal act Blood Incantation. The album was released through Dark Descent Records in August 2016. Blood Incantation formed in 2011 and released three demos before being signed for the release of the 2015 "Interdimensional Extinction" EP. There has been one lineup change since the EP as bassist Jeff Barrett has joined Blood Incantation, making them a quartet on "Starspawn".

Stylistically the material on the 5 tracks, 35:19 minutes long album is a continuation of the progressive and at times almost abtract death metal of the "Interdimensional Extinction" EP. This time just even more complex in structure and challenging on the ears of the listener. Although some riffs and ideas are repeated the tracks often feel like a long journey with new ideas and riffs constantly being introduced. Some tracks feature some atmospheric parts which are nice for the variation of the album, because otherwise this is a very busy and layered release, which is quite relentless in its approach. The fact that Blood Incantation rarely play any riffs which are of the more regular death metal kind, but instead focus on playing unconventional and often dissonant and twisted riffs and rhythms make "Starspawn" a difficult listen with very few hooks to hold on to.

...and that is my main critique when it comes to evaluating "Starspawn". It features a relatively well sounding gritty sound production and the musical performances are arguably through the roof (how can these guys even rememeber these tracks?), but it´s an album with little soul or death metal integrity. Take the vocals for instance, which are delivered without any punch or aggression. They are just there and barely get the job done. The tracks are also so complex in structure and the riffs and rhythms so tech nerdy that they leave little impact on the listener other than an interest in how the hell they are played or how they got the idea to compose them this way...so to my ears this is a musicians album and less an album for the regular death metal listener to enjoy.

When that is said "Starspawn" is still an intriguing album on some levels and it´s certainly a bold and adventurous death metal release showing a band who defy tradition and want to challenge the concept of death metal. I can relate to- and respect that, but on the other hand "Starspawn" just ultimately leaves me cold and it´s definitely not an album which incites headbanging and moshing. It´s way too nerdy and focused on something completely different that the primal energies of regular death metal. A 3.5 star (70%) rating isn´t all wrong.

(Originally posted on Metal Music Archives).