Mr. Matt Calvert’s overall goal must be be to have his Dark Descent label put every  underground label out of business.  Blood Incantation are yet another special band, that he found a few years ago.  2015 saw the band put out a pretty killer 4 song ep, Interdimensional Extinction.  I am new to the Blood Incantation camp, so I picked this ep and their debut album, Starspawn up recently.  I was doing my at home banking and popped these guys into YouTube and was hooked.  The only thing not original is placing the word blood in front of one of the most beloved underground death metal bands names, in existence and then you have the band logo that you can’t make out.

However and this is a big HOWEVER, when a band is this original and good then all those other items I mentioned are inconsequential.  Blood Incantation are death metal, mixed in with some space like high speed death/thrash/technical moments that sometimes remind me of the awesome Vektor and damned if I did not catch a few Voivod moments along the Blood Incantation path.  Starspawn opens with a 13+ minute opener, “Vitrification of Blood (Part I)” is quite the pill to swallow.  And swallow it you will.  Vicious growls, rumbling heaviness and vocals that were recorded in a cavernous vortex of tornado whirlwind demonic evilness.  Guitar melodies permeate and encapsulates the listener with groans and pained anguish growls at the 4 minute mark.  The 5.15 guitar solos, double bass and drum patterns are creative and add a layer of greatness that few albums will ever achieve, especially in today’s overcrowded genre.  The song gets into some atmospherics towards the end and I felt like I was floating in space with the dreamlike atmosphere.  This song is one of the best songs I have heard in the last 5 years.

With only 5 songs I disagree with including an instrumental on the album.  It now brings the album to only 4 songs.  Sure the quality is ridiculous, but they should have scrapped the instrumental or, include another song.  The instrumental is well done, filled with ambience and atmospherics, but I wanted more, another goddamned song.  Plus if Blood Incantation plays the instrumental live, it will lose the audience.  Next time guys, put an extra song on the release, since this comes across as filler.  The title track closes the album, in spectacular fashion.  The opening, growl/cymbal hit and guitar comes in so abruptly it startled the hell out of me.  Monstrous blast beat too and the guitar part at the 58 second part is the “Holy Shit” part before erupting in one of the catchiest blasts I’ve heard this year.  Some creative guitar solos toward the end, that are Vektor influenced, but still original and Blood Incantation are hell bent on steering the listener into emotive paths as these melodies are played with emotion and conviction to the highest degree.

The production on Starspawn is important to point out, since it’s recorded in Analog.  With so much brutality going on and atmospherics this captures a warmth and organic sound that is sorely missing from the death metal genre.  Thanks for bringing it back, Blood Incantation.  Matt even threw in some extra coin with the album layout.  Multi-paneled booklet in full color.  Dark Descent is offering the album in a variety of packages.  I rarely do shirt combos, but I grabbed myself a longsleeve, since it’s well done and I love supporting the labels and bands.  Also, it’s rare to see good longsleeves with full sleeve and back prints.  Other than some of minor rants, Starspawn, from Blood Incantation is a rarity in death metal.  Original, brutal, technical, evil, atmospheric and outstanding.  As of now you are finished with this review.  Log onto the bands FB page and like them, then go to the label and order the album in your preferred format.  No…you are not yet finished.  Purchase the ep.  Hold on shorty, you’re still not done.  While you’re at it, you will buy the longsleeve.  It’s going to get cold soon and you need some new death metal swag to warm your pathetic brittle bones, plus the longsleeve looks incredible.  Now kind reader, you have a brain and you can realize that this is a Buy or Die release.  Starspawn is brilliant.  Believe all the hype you’re reading about this release-it’s true!

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