Almost equal measures of technicality, melody, and intricate groovery can be found on this unclassifiable modern death metal offering that is Offending‘s Age of Perversion. Hearing them get name dropped in the same breath as the likes of Vile, Hate Eternal, and Immolation (especially in these Frenchies’ state-of-the-art knack for suspense and profound unpredictability characterizing the build of the songs we have on here) isn’t surprising in the mildest. Those records that have so much bombastic dynamics herein, and such a tangible, concrete track organization (in terms of varying takes on the DM genre, ranging from timeous and entertainingly progressive peaks right towards ambiance-driven melodic numbers) are tough to tag with one single stylistic labeling; and frankly, this type of brutality is one damn fine brew for that fact. Borrowing elements from all spectrums is far from being a crime. The gist of this one affair is comprised of stouthearted, rad, and highly creative mashups, crowned by Neb Xort’s eulogizing production that suitably aggrandizes every aspect of this delivery.

”Infested By His Burden” is extremely nickel in terms of exhibiting Offending‘s very respectable range of strengths; melodies that absolutely stick, varied drumming techniques, cobwebs of attention-grabbing atonal riffage throughout, and one sense of unpredictability that’s right on the money. ”Within this World” amps up the reach of this well-structured and well-rounded-up vehemence with even tighter twists and turns in the pattern shifts, more of this nuclear drumming, and this poignant, cinematic, bone-slicingly chilly ambiance building up to a point where it’s physically palpable. This uber frenzied verve keeps on escalating in grandeur with the undaunted and impressively vital ”Modern Enslavement”, the first of the two main focal points of this record. The ape soloing kicking in without one trace of reluctance as quick as 28 seconds in is only one element of this track that scores high in terms of an adrenaline build, coupled with very neat nods to classical roots in the direction of the leads, fitting eerily well in the midst of all this catchy brutality. The progression of this track is tight, well-oiled and intelligent, creating unstoppable hook-induction, and the drumming backs that up with animalistic vigor.

The highly calculating and tech-savvy ‘’Dominion XXI’’ (getting increasingly and neatly entangled into tight progressive songwriting in its second half especially) is one different beast especially on the rhythm section front, creating a nice and devotedly experimental passage where Offending‘s imprint on violence can be defined in depth. The short but to-the-point ”Religion Depravity” houses more of this sweet ambiance-driven impactfulness that truly captures the attention with a clear urgency to the melodies, a very somber main riff, high-profile leads here and there, and a bit of an Immolation‘y (listing ”Majesty and Decay” as a main reference here) type of thrilling build in the meshing of the stomping drums and down-tuned n’ beautifully menacing stalwart riffs (this absolutely cool part kicking in right around the one-minute mark). This type of vibe sticks with a touch more abstract musings in the title-track. I’m especially digging the highly mathematical prog whirlwind kicking in at approx 2:30, the riffery venturing wherever it damn well sees fit, the nuances in the drumming a perfect foundation for these very organic-sounding experimentations to lay on, with virulent growls crawling atop for a badass finish.

”Hopeless Submission” is, without a hint of a fucking doubt, another outstanding cut of a particularly massive importance among this lot. It doesn’t waste any time and reveals itself as one relentless entity right from the moment it sets foot in the door with more infectious and sincerely killer drumming, svelte licks all across the map, a memorable and engaging chorus melody, one noteworthy knack for bitching groove (take note of the 3:25 mark for a solid example of how compact it can get) and yet another passionate solo sealing up the deal. ”Raped By Religion” doesn’t tear up the house just as much on the riffage front and could’ve used some more fleshing out in that department, but it’s still one blindingly fast, skin-breaking bridge tying the awesomeness of the previous cut in with the rather convenient roughly four-minute-long outro that contains lead work that ain’t the most flamboyant on the entire record, but the right feel is definitely there, and the drumming, especially, is still thunderous as ever.

On the whole, this album is a definite go-to, especially if you know to recognize the beauty of crafty brutality, and the importance of a well-nuanced take on violence in the general scheme of well-rendered impactfulness in modern death metal. Offending‘s gonna garner some major attention and huge rounds of high-fives for this one, and that’s absolutely irrefutable.

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