My hope is that Erlend reads this himself; I am such a big fan. You are truly my favorite bass player.
...Mother of God. This is one that the death metal world has been waiting for, for a LONG time! If one wants to talk tech death, one only needs to know Spawn of Possession. After listening to just one of their tracks, you may find yourself a little light headed, because it is hard for your brain to absorb all of this all at once. Not literally, but this is a band that the music nerds will trip out on a lot more than usual. Most of the members are from other incredible bands; Erlend is also in, Blood Red Throne, Incinerate, Vile, The Allseeing I, just to name a few. And the guitarist is made famous by Necrophagist, Obscura, and Defeated Sanity. The only member that isn't in a billion and a half bands in the guitarist, Jonas. Albums like these would be much easier to review if mastery of every instrument was showered upon thee.
The album begins with a quick 5 notes and then a short rest before, what sounds like synths, kick in. This short intro track is very ambient but somehow technical at the same time. Leave it to Spawn of Possession to write a technical atmospheric track. The drums in the intro track are out of this world too. He manages to highlight notes and the progression, and when the double bass kicks in around :52 it almost sounds like a Immolation track. And, then right when things start to really pick up in the intro, the second track kicks in and will have you fall in love with this album at first listen. It is always hard to put in a new album from one of your favorite bands and then it turns out the album sucks. And its the greatest thing ever to hear 20 seconds of one song and fall in love. The guitar solo in the second track, "Where Angels Go Demons Follow", is beyond incredible at 3:08, and it is stellar how there is a bass and drum solo immediately after that.
The bass in this magnificent album is far beyond amazing. Erlend Caspersen would have to practice a lot LESS to be considered just a god. Every single riff, every fill, is astounding. Track 5 "Servitude of Souls" begins with a mosh worthy (you don't hear too many of those in tech death" riff bass fill thing that will have you swinging your elbows in your computer chair! And there is a bass fill at 1:17 of "Deus Avertat" that is hard to tell if he is trilling at lightning speed or he is tapping on the same note he is trilling on. Either way that is one monstrous bass fill. The leads this guy can play at 15 second into the seventh track is note worthy as well. It is very easy to ramble, so let's leave this at he is awesome and the bass doesn't let up for a second.
There is one minor imperfection in this beastly bastard however, in Deus Avertat, there is a breakdown at 3:12. Granted this is Spawn of Possession and they can do whatever the fuck they want. Leave core with the core bands. It is not a straight up boring breakdown though. I really admire the snare work pulled off by the drummer here. They are also incredibly easy to solo over as well. Which is awesome for the guitar player, and breakdowns are usually boring enough that when a solo comes in that ALL the attention can be focused on him with no distractions. The best guitar work is found on The Evangelist at around 7:40, face ripping solo there. And choice drumming in the last track right when it kicks in at :56 is gnarly as hell. This guy can kick as fast as Morbid Angel. After this you should check out the Stephen Hawking special on how time travel to the future is possible by moving at near light speed. It was really sweet of Steven to do a special on Henrik's feet.
An entire album full of winning. Everything in here is greatness, the review could have simply read, "Holy crap the new Spawn of Possession rules buy it now", and everyone would know exactly what I am trying to convey. But alas, normally tech death albums are a snooze-fest and INCREDIBLY OVERRATED, but the Spawn is most defiantly an exception. They possess some of the best musicians in the world.
94%
Favorite Tracks: Where Angels Go Demons Follow, Servitude of Souls, The Evangelist
Bonus bass videos!
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