INANIMATE EXISTENCE
“A NEVER ENDING CYCLE OF ATONEMENT”
UNIQUE LEADER
All the way from Santa Cruz, California come INANIMATE EXISTENCE with this “A
NEVER ENDING CYCLE OF ATONEMENT” their second full length release and the
first release since 2012’s debut “LIBERATION THROUGH HEARING”, also on
UNIQUE LEADER. This technical Death Metal band’s members are or have been in
other acts like ARKAIK, BRAINDRILL, VAGINAL DISCHARGE, FLESH
CONSUMED, DESECRION and others. Obviously these guys get a lot of practice at
their art, especially considering most all of the other bands they are playing or have played
with are also residing at the technical end of the Death Metal spectrum. Their proficiency
with their Death Metal weaponry can easily be seen. Screaming leads and arpeggios up the
ying-yang harken back to Mike Davis of NOCTURNUS fame, who was one of the
greatest technical guitarist in Death Metal history, even having Trey Azagthoth as a fan.
“A NEVER ENDING CYCLE OF ATONEMENT” teeters on the edge of falling into the
much un-avoided pitfall of losing any form of cohesion due to the extreme technicality of
the music. A seeming musical vortex perched on the rim of the abyss. Much like
NOCTURNUS though, INANIMATE EXISTENCE doesn't descend into that abyss and
the music can still be enjoyed even by those of us not swept away by music proficiency
alone. There are actual songs here. “Bioluminescent Photosphores” is a good example.
This almost three-quarter of an hour album is divided into two parts. The first being
entitled “The Old World” and the second “The New World”. Not having access to a lyric
sheet, simply titles like the aforementioned “Bioluminescent Photophores” and “The
Catacomb of Mirrors” , coupled with the album being broken into two chapters, would
lend credence to the fact that a concept to the entirety of this album is a well thought out
reality. My NOCTURNUS allusion is actually a relatively well-founded one. Save for the
vocals being much more in the traditional Death Metal register and minus the keyboard
laden measures NOCTURNUS has become synonymous for, NOCTURNUS‘
“Thresholds” is a comparison I think many could make. There are numerous breaks from
the more modern, blast beaten breakdowns into some truly mesmerizing, more traditional
Death Metal (and at times even Progressive Metal) musings. Being a listener that really
doesn't care for the more modern elements herein aside, this album is an enjoyable, if
frenziedly varied, listen. While not being exactly on point as to my personal tastes,
INANIMATE EXISTENCE’s “A NEVER ENDING CYCLE OF ATONEMENT” is
more than a sound buy for fans of the majority of the current UNIQUE LEADER roster,
and one of the finer UNIQUE LEADER albums I've heard in recent years.
www.facebook.com/TheINANIMATEEXISTENCE
- Reviewed By Keith Dempe
“A NEVER ENDING CYCLE OF ATONEMENT”
UNIQUE LEADER
All the way from Santa Cruz, California come INANIMATE EXISTENCE with this “A
NEVER ENDING CYCLE OF ATONEMENT” their second full length release and the
first release since 2012’s debut “LIBERATION THROUGH HEARING”, also on
UNIQUE LEADER. This technical Death Metal band’s members are or have been in
other acts like ARKAIK, BRAINDRILL, VAGINAL DISCHARGE, FLESH
CONSUMED, DESECRION and others. Obviously these guys get a lot of practice at
their art, especially considering most all of the other bands they are playing or have played
with are also residing at the technical end of the Death Metal spectrum. Their proficiency
with their Death Metal weaponry can easily be seen. Screaming leads and arpeggios up the
ying-yang harken back to Mike Davis of NOCTURNUS fame, who was one of the
greatest technical guitarist in Death Metal history, even having Trey Azagthoth as a fan.
“A NEVER ENDING CYCLE OF ATONEMENT” teeters on the edge of falling into the
much un-avoided pitfall of losing any form of cohesion due to the extreme technicality of
the music. A seeming musical vortex perched on the rim of the abyss. Much like
NOCTURNUS though, INANIMATE EXISTENCE doesn't descend into that abyss and
the music can still be enjoyed even by those of us not swept away by music proficiency
alone. There are actual songs here. “Bioluminescent Photosphores” is a good example.
This almost three-quarter of an hour album is divided into two parts. The first being
entitled “The Old World” and the second “The New World”. Not having access to a lyric
sheet, simply titles like the aforementioned “Bioluminescent Photophores” and “The
Catacomb of Mirrors” , coupled with the album being broken into two chapters, would
lend credence to the fact that a concept to the entirety of this album is a well thought out
reality. My NOCTURNUS allusion is actually a relatively well-founded one. Save for the
vocals being much more in the traditional Death Metal register and minus the keyboard
laden measures NOCTURNUS has become synonymous for, NOCTURNUS‘
“Thresholds” is a comparison I think many could make. There are numerous breaks from
the more modern, blast beaten breakdowns into some truly mesmerizing, more traditional
Death Metal (and at times even Progressive Metal) musings. Being a listener that really
doesn't care for the more modern elements herein aside, this album is an enjoyable, if
frenziedly varied, listen. While not being exactly on point as to my personal tastes,
INANIMATE EXISTENCE’s “A NEVER ENDING CYCLE OF ATONEMENT” is
more than a sound buy for fans of the majority of the current UNIQUE LEADER roster,
and one of the finer UNIQUE LEADER albums I've heard in recent years.
www.facebook.com/TheINANIMATEEXISTENCE
- Reviewed By Keith Dempe