These Dutch deathsters have been going for some seven years now, give or take the odd hiatus. Featuring ex-Pestilence drummer Yuma van Eekelen and guest appearances from an ex-Cynic member, along with Prostitute Disfigurement’s Niels Adams, all signs are good. And lyrically, the band goes out of its way to emphasise the unifying theme at the core of ‘Procreating the Undivine’, which is mankind’s eternally violent nature. What more could you want or indeed expect from a death metal album? Not much I’d say…
The album’s immaculate production immediately makes an impression, with rich guitars, hard-hitting drums and fretless bass storming out on the bizarrely titled ‘Saliva’. Vocal-wise there is quite a range, with throaty screams and deeper tones – occasionally reminiscent of Corpsegrinder Fisher – contrasted with a slurred, more shouty delivery. As indicated in the attached press release, the music is of a modern and technical nature, largely consisting of mid-pace compositions which go heavy on the groove but also employ varying tempos when desired. Above all, there is a constant sense of movement, which ties in suitably with that tumultuous cover art. ‘Perverted to Perfection’, for instance, incorporates a bit of speed, blasting and even some strange flourishes on the guitars while remaining firmly rooted in a momentous quest for mid-pace heaviness. At times, Meshuggah springs to mind in terms of the jarring crunch, while in isolated instances some ‘jazzy’ stylings also emerge.
The compositions largely fall into the five minute or above category, allowing plenty of time for the band to expound its message. ‘The Eclectic Splitting of Tongues’ subsumes the listener in cascades of pristine heaviness, and likewise carries him/her/it on flights of melody. This track demonstrates what I take to be nice ‘chord progressions’ and generally defines the band’s objective to dazzle with its highly skilled musicianship and classy sound… Which, unfortunately, also proves to be the album’s undoing for this listener. Musically it verges too far on the modern to appeal to my fundamental craving for dark/explosive death; as a consequence, the tracks neither grab me nor differentiate themselves to any great extent as the experience unfolds. It is even the less heavy stuff that sticks out like the instrumental ‘Matriarch Asphyxia’, evoking images of nature within its pleasant smoothness, or aspects like the clean bass and vocals on ‘Slaves of Ablaze’. The whole, however, is just a bit too clinical and controlled for my liking.
Ultimately I can point to Niels Adams’ guest appearance as indicative of why I don’t connect with the death metal on ‘Procreating the Undivine’. On record and live particularly, this fellow is capable of some of the most gutturally awesome vocals imaginable. His contribution on track five here however passes by with disappointing anonymity; eclipsed as it is by groove, polish and sophistication, which are the essence of TND. While very far from bad, it’s just not my bag.
(6.5/10 Jamie Wilson)
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