Style: Death metal, progressive metal (mixed vocals, mostly harsh)
Recommended for fans of: Blood Incantation, Death, Morbid Angel
Country: Massachusetts, United States
Release date: 18 April 2025

Although the old school death metal revival has been going on for years, what’s with the recent spotlight? Offering a modern take on a classic sound, OSDM-steeped releases from proggier bands like Tomb Mold and Horrendous have seen huge underground acclaim. And Blood Incantation launched out of the underground altogether last year, with Absolute Elsewhere appearing indiscriminately on just about every year-end list. Backed primarily by Millennials and Gen Zers with no connection to the original acts, nostalgia doesn’t explain the recent explosion—it’s not the same force that sends our parents in droves to community amphitheaters to watch mediocre tribute bands play the same few classic rock songs. Maybe the renewed interest is a reaction against what some see as an increasingly sterile progressive music scene. That is, a counter to surgically precise, rigidly technical, overproduced music that’s lost its soul (hey, I like that kind of music). It could be a desire to recapture and build upon the blatantly badass sonic aesthetic of late ‘80s and early ‘90s death metal—style is circular after all, and what goes out of fashion often returns.

Whatever the cause, the momentum behind this scene continues to build, and another band has joined the fray. With their debut LP Ego Dissolution, Massachusetts-based Ancient Death announce their arrival in a concise thirty-five-minute statement. Drawing clear inspiration from Blood Incantation, as well as the stalwarts of the early Florida death metal scene, these newcomers offer OSDM with a psychedelic bend and a slight progressive tinge. With OSDM in vogue among the metal underground, will the band join the new crop of old-school elite?

Ego Dissolution could easily be mistaken for a late ‘80s release. The production, although warm and clear, isn’t sanded down and coated in lacquer—its surface is rough enough to let the album’s big riffs scrape the ears. Meanwhile, much of the instrumentation runs through the OSDM playbook. Most tracks have some combination of frenzied, technical-but-not-”tech” riffing; heavy, mid-paced segments overlaid with early Schuldiner-esque vocals; and ripping guitar solos, but not in the virtuosic, guitar-nerd type of way. Drummer Derek Malone Moniz isn’t afraid to slow things down and compliment blasting with groovy kick-drum patterns, and an active bass guitar growls beneath it all. “Breaking the Barriers of Hope” and “Unspoken Oath” are the record’s most straightforward ass-kickers, each offering a clinic in effective death metal execution. 

Ancient Death’s psychedelic and progressive elements appear mostly through slower passages that incorporate grainy synths, mellow guitars, and, on occasion, ethereal cleans provided by bass guitarist Jasmine Alexander. Rather than take us on full Tangerine Dream or Floydian detours, à la Blood Incantation’s latest album, these passages are shorter and integrated more naturally into the tracks. The effect is tremendous, adding dimension to the music and making the streamlined death metal sections hit even harder. The atmospheric bridge in the middle of the ripping title track makes the track feel massive and complete; and the first half of “Breathe – Transcend” is simply spellbinding, a chilled-out swirl of restrained guitars, locked-in rhythms, and cavernous growls complimented by Alexander’s celestial singing. For a full dose of psychedelic atmosphere, instrumental track “Journey to the Inner Soul” appears to be Ancient Death’s trippier, less technical response to Death’s famed “Cosmic Sea.” Each time the band ventures beyond the core death metal sound, they do so tastefully, the passages never sounding forced or out of place.  

To be sure, Ego Dissolution isn’t particularly inventive. Ancient Death take no issue in putting their influences out there for all to see. The album strives by reining these influences in and spinning them into a diverse, coherent set of tracks with no weak points. By the same token, there’s nothing that takes the album over the top: Ego Dissolution doesn’t quite have the innovation or depth to be monumental, and it doesn’t need to. Of course, I’d love to see Ancient Death push their sound further and carve out more of an identity in future releases—they certainly have the requisite talent and innate feel for songwriting—but as far as debuts go, it’s remarkably complete. 

Ultimately, Ego Dissolution is a resounding success. Ancient Death package an abundance of influences, along with some character of their own, into a cohesive work that’s as musically compelling as it is plainly fun. Front to back, the album is rock solid and its short runtime flies by, urging you to go right back to the start for another run. Just one album in, Ancient Death already sit notably among the new school of old school.

Recommended tracks: Ego Dissolution, Breaking the Barriers of Hope, Unspoken Oath, Breathe – Transcend (Into the Glowing Streams of Forever)
You may also like: Tomb Mold, Horrendous, Undeath, Barn, Bedsore
Final verdict: 7.5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page

Label: Profound Lore Records – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website

Ancient Death is:
– Jasmine Alexander (bass and vocals)
– Ray Brouwer (guitars)
– Jerry Witunsky (guitars and vocals)
– Derek Malone Moniz (drums)

The post Review: Ancient Death – Ego Dissolution appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

No artist credited

Style: Black Metal, Dissonant Black Metal, Progressive Metal (Harsh vocals with cleans on the last track)
Recommended for fans of: Krallice, Thantifaxath, Celeste
Country: New York, United States
Release date: 15 October 2013

The early 2010s were a volatile and explosive time for black metal, full of experimentation and change. A decade earlier, bands like Blut Aus Nord, Abigor, and Dødheimsgard were planting the seeds of an uglier, more abrasive twist on the genre; not long after that, Deathspell Omega would blow the scene wide open with their infamous trilogy. Since then, countless groups have tried their hands at the style of dissonant black metal laid down by these titans of the genre to wildly varying success. Many bands have come and gone, lost to the wind, with Castevet counted among them—though not for lack of quality. 

Castevet were a modest three-piece outfit consisting of Andrew Hock on guitar and vocal duty, Ian Jacyszyn on the drums, as well as sharing Krallice member Nicholas McMaster on bass. The style of music played by these three certainly follows in the footsteps of the aforementioned titans but takes a subtler approach to the oddities and complexities that are so prevalent in the genre. Krallice is, fittingly, the main point of reference to be heard on Obsian, though with a shimmering, prettier take on their sound, even dabbling in softer ambient pieces like on the title track. Obsian is an album full of technical marvel wrapped up in a vague, melancholic atmosphere; an ever-unfurling organism that refuses to be fully defined.

“The Tower” introduces the primary style found on Obsian: harmonically and rhythmically dense black metal. Instantly recognizable and distinctly memorable is the psychedelic fuzz of the bass tone of McMaster, who spends nearly as much time providing countermelody and even lead melody as he does laying down a foundational groove. The production—courtesy of other Krallice mainstay Colin Marston—is warm and just hazy enough for the instruments to shine while also providing context for the atmosphere created by their performances. Herein lies one piece of the puzzle that makes the sound on Obsian so unique: the performances create just as much of the atmosphere as the production job does. From the jarring chords at 2:20 in “Cavernous” that seem to spill out of the aether, to the assertive bass line that drops down to the tonic during the intro/chorus riff on “The Curve,” Castevet make full use of the context provided to them through the stellar production job. 

As Obsian continues, it patiently reveals more of its unique strengths, most notably an acumen for intricate songwriting. Castevet are less overtly dissonant than their peers, instead choosing to utilize smart composition and performance techniques to achieve the same effect. The guitar and bass will often play similar arpeggios that are just slightly off from one another, giving an organic off-kilter feel. Unique chord voicings and smart chord inversions are littered throughout Obsian’s runtime that, when paired with its stilted rhythms, give the experience a sense of constantly folding in on itself—like an auditory set of penrose steps. More specifically, Castevet have a knack for finding strong melodic lines and recontextualizing them through harmonic interplay, giving the listener an opportunity to approach the same sections of songs from different angles during repeat listens; look no further than opening track “The Tower” or the back half of “The Curve” for examples of this.

Another piece of Obsian’s puzzle is its bold rhythmic flair, especially when coupled with some of the more idiosyncratic instrumentation choices and drum kit orchestration. Castevet weave in and out of time signatures, extend and cut phrases short, and play with subdivisions, always in a way that is still conducive to just sitting back and instinctively nodding your head. “As Fathomed By Beggars and Victims” is perhaps the best example of this rhythmic quirk: a pervasive 9 against 4 polyrhythm being played on the hi-hat gives the song an unsteady gait, and even the foundational groove shifts depending on how you listen to it, with 3/4 and 4/4 time each being equally valid ways of counting. When put together, the result is a sonic illusion that is not unlike a desert mirage, shifting from afar but coming into clarity when given more attention. This same song is also a good example of Jacyszyn’s clever kit orchestration. The drums drive the song forward, giving the relatively stationary guitar performance much more bite than it would have on its own. Jacyszyn is able to fill in droughts of movement from the rest of the band with precisely tuned toms and flowing fills, and the drum performance can largely be listened to as melodically as the guitars. 

What really ties everything together for Obsian, though, are the subtle details that Castevet incorporates into every aspect of the experience. Acoustic guitars accentuate riffs at opportune times (“Cavernous”) that, while not quite folky, make the performance feel more human and easier to attach to emotionally. Castevet knows when to vamp on a good idea (ending of “The Curve”) but always have some sort of subtle variation to keep it interesting, allowing the atmosphere to consume the listener while keeping the music engaging. Phrases often start with familiar riff structures and harmonic voicings, only to devolve into swirling, gestural approximations of these forms in the second half of the same phrase. A question is being posed: what exactly are the most important aspects of these beloved techniques and tropes? What makes them tick? Castevet probes for answers with a delicate touch, achieving and even exceeding the same standard set by classics of the genre, doing more with less.

Just when you think that Castevet have shown all they have to offer, they pull one final trick out of their sleeve with “The Seat of Severance”, starting with one of the most straightforward riffs yet and marking the only time that clean vocals make an appearance. The choice to forgo harsh vocals completely is a brave one in music as harmonically vague as this, and proves that the music on Obsian is not reliant on familiar textures and cliches; instead, rock solid composition is what carries the sound and makes it a standout experience. While Obsian is certainly dense and full of anxiety, it is not quite as dreary or oppressive as its peers, merely introspective. The run time is short, inviting necessary repeat listens while also justifying its experimentation and occasional ambiance. My single critique of Obsian is that I wish there were two or three more songs to flesh out the experience, though this is just because I can’t get enough of the sound crafted on this forgotten relic. As it stands, the listener is left with the same feeling of finishing an exceptional book or television series, where you sit there in silence for ten minutes thinking… What now?

Well… you hit play again.

Recommended tracks: The Tower, The Curve, As Fathomed by Beggars and Victims
You may also like: Scarcity, Flourishing, Yellow Eyes

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Metal-Archives page

Label: Profound Lore Records – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website

Castevet is:
– Andrew Hock (guitars, vocals)
– Ian Jacyszyn (drums)
– Nicholas McMaster (bass)

The post Lost in Time: Castevet – Obsian appeared first on The Progressive Subway.

Genres: Melodic Death Metal, Progressive Metal, Doom Metal (Mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Insomnium, Swallow the Sun, Omnium Gatherum, Draconian
Country: New York, USA
Release date: 8 March 2024

History ended in the nineties, at least according to Francis Fukuyama; living proof, if it were still needed, that world-leading experts are very often extraordinarily stupid. The progressive metal scene knew better. Here, the nineties were a time of true beginning: Porcupine Tree, Pain of Salvation, and Opeth made their first tentative steps, established bands like Death, Fates Warning and Shadow Gallery reigned supreme, and two little bands called Tool and Dream Theater were about to define the scene for decades to come. 

Grey Skies Fallen can back me up: they’d have seen it happen, having joined the scene in the late nineties, and continued working for over twenty-five years now. Will the sixth album from these melodic death doomsters, Molded by Broken Hands, have us all wondering why they’re not mentioned in the same breath as the aforementioned genre luminaries, or showcase exactly why they’re not in that pantheon? 

For the first few tracks, Grey Skies Fallen truly impress, opening with the grandiosity of “A Twisted Place in Time” which features a sublime acoustic intro that pushes into thick harshes atop a lumbering melodeath riff, synth and strings tickling the edges, before segueing into tension-building tremolo, and a portentously doomy outro riff which continuously slows to its eventual halt. This trend continues with the reverb-heavy lead guitar duel and solo that open the title track, Habeeb delivering both venomous harshes and agonised belting cleans. “No Place for Sorrow” delivers a notably rapid tremolo riff for a real sense of pace amid the chugging doom, while “I Can Hear Your Voice” provides a lofty refrain and a continuously evolving guitar motif. Molded by Broken Hands offers a fine buffet of doomy melodeath.

Echoes of past sounds dwell within, a certain nineties throwback feel at times—and, of course, Grey Skies Fallen formed in 1997—exemplified by the goth flavour of the reverb-laden clean guitars, and Rick Habeeb’s immense, anguished baritone; the opening of “No Place For Sorrow” is probably the best example. The synths too, contributed by Colin Marston (who handles production, too) have a very nineties flavour, as does the mix and master by the defining voice of nineties death metal himself, Mr. Dan Swanö. All this confers a nostalgic sensibility to the already melancholic melodeath; a veteran band reaching back to their formative influences and applying them to the present scene with aplomb.  

Still, something held me back, and it took a while for me to work out what it was. The sedate doominess of the oft-repeated riffs wears a little thin after a while. Molded by Broken Hands has two modes: trudging doom and mid-tempo melodeath—“Cracks in Time” (surprisingly it was the lead single, and don’t get me started on the AI video; artists should not willingly usher in the death of other art forms [EDIT: Grey Skies Fallen’s ex-keyboardist Craig Rossi, who made the video, got in touch to say that the video actually features “tons of after effects and some stock footage that I pay $30 a month for. It’s not all AI, and those artists got paid for the fx and footage I downloaded”. As much as I dislike AI art, I retract what I said above, it sounds like Rossi was as responsible as possible about his use of AI, and that’s the best any of us can do]) and “Save Us” in particular lack the relative dynamism of the earlier tracks, although the latter resolves with a wonderful belting lament from Habeeb.

Nevertheless, by the fourth track, you’ve heard most of what Molded by Broken Hands has to offer. Grey Skies Fallen are great performers and composers, but I think sometimes having been on the scene for such a long time can leave bands stuck in particular patterns of writing. Final track “Knowing That You’re There” offers the most progressive approach to composition, with a very nice clean guitar break (which are mostly reserved for intros over the rest of the album), an incredible all-clean vocal performance from Habeeb, with a plaintive string-accompanied chorus; that this finale should stick out against its predecessors underlines the issue.

Despite having to quickly rein in the hopes I had for more exploratory prog death/doom in the manner of Wills Dissolve, for instance, Grey Skies Fallen nevertheless prove to be masters of their sound and tight performers, if leaning a little towards homogeneity at times, and I remain somewhat baffled that such a clearly talented band remain relatively unknown. That’s a historic crime, and so I beseech thee, depressed melodeath fans of the world: heed my call! You’ll like this one. 

Recommended tracks: Molded by Broken Hands, No Place For Sorrow, Knowing That You’re There 
You may also like: Eternal Storm, Wills Dissolve, Descend, Barren Earth
Final verdict: 7/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Metal-Archives page

Label: Profound Lore Records – Bandcamp | Facebook

Grey Skies Fallen is:
– Rick Habeeb (vocals, guitars)
– Joe D’Angelo (guitars)
– Sal Gregory (drums)
– Tom Anderer (bass)

The post Review: Grey Skies Fallen – Molded by Broken Hands appeared first on The Progressive Subway.