This second album has taken some time to be unveiled since the bands excellent debut, ‘The Deep Longing For Annihilation’ released in 2017, but it has been worth the wait. Being picked up by the prolific German label should suggest more exposure for this proficient technical death metal act whose sophomore continues the hard hitting atmospheric drive of the debut but focuses it into songs that have a little more accessibility rather than the 1000mph riff fest of the debut. Whilst the debut was indeed an absolute lightning rampage showcasing the bands considerable skill it did make it difficult to absorb with the frenzied structuring of the songs but obviously extremely adept.
Fans of the band need not worry, their trademark battering assault is fully intact but within this album there is a better fluidity courtesy of the smoother song writing that enables every song to have its own ingenuity and individuality, ensuring that better accessibility for the listener. Added to that the band has enlisted the excellent vocal talents of Kevin Muller (ex-Suffocation, ex-Pyrexia) to add a variability to the songs that was possibly absent on the purely instrumental debut.
There is no doubting the shredding prowess of Wes Hauch, his exponential talent is there for all to hear when the album opens with ‘Ulysses’. The expansive atmospheric posturing allows every song to instil an unflinching epic aura even though the tracks are relatively short as the song writing sees them delve into progressivity that is particularly ear catching. There are references to acts like Obscura, Cynic, Beyond Creation and that ilk due to the complexity but what Alluvial add to their mix is that ability to ingrain the songs in your head as on the melodic and very different ’40 Stories’. A tune steeped in emotive melodicism it captures the brutality and progressivity sublimely, adding clean vocals with a sense of increasing power and intensity.
The short interlude ‘Zero’ leads nicely into ‘Exponent’ where the riffing onslaught produces a sinister, menacing aura especially in the last phase and continues into the excellent ‘Sleepers Become Giants’. With harsh whispered styled vocals an eeriness is displayed that plunges the song into a progressive deathcore like slant, especially when the cleaner vocals are injected. Speeding up hugely is ‘The Putrid Sunrise’ a blasted annihilation initially the song is awash with Hauch’s insane ability producing one of the most vicious tracks on the album.
Another exceptional track is ‘Sugar Paper’, an instrumental based the track, and like ’40 Stories’ is very different and one of my favourites here. Its calm opening leads in with gentle guitar work and a light cymbal tap before the song unleashes its progressive pulverising. With tempo deviations aplenty the song is a standout due to its constantly evolving dynamics that leads into the purer deathly battering of closer ‘Anodyne’. Again the riff fest is set against the substantial abilities of drummer Matthew Paulazzo and bassist Tim Walker a pairing that enables every track to be that much heavier and that much more impacting. The relentless approach of the closer reminds you that Alluvial are indeed a death metal band but within their armoury is a band unafraid to branch out and hurl the odd curveball making this an exquisite second album.
(8.5/10 Martin Harris)
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