Much like label and country mates Destroying Divinity, the Czech Republic’s aptly named Heaving Earth make no bones about their primary influences, and any death metal fan can quickly ascertain such simply based on the track names, album name cover art and palette. And then you press play and while the instantly recognizable throes of Incantation, Immolation, Hate Eternal and Morbid Angel (from whence the band get their moniker) churn and coil amid the band’s second album, there is a added sense of tech death precision mired amid the vortex of heaving riffs.

It appears that Heaving Earth has released 2015s first great death metal record, as the mix of crumbling, pinch harmonic squeals and lurches  and slightly more clinical tech death metal furor combines perfectly. The overall production mirrors the musical balance also, with clear riffs and other worldy Mithras-ian solos with the murky muddy tones fully present for when the band enters a more cavernous crawl.

Look no further than opener “The Final Crowning” to hear a succinct view into the album’s entirety, as the attention grabbing track as the recognizable old school influences are injected with busy, cleverly technical shreddage. And not new tech death noodly shreddage, just a razor sharp layer of higher register riffs, over the riffs. And it’s magical.

The rest of the album follows suite with either a similar salvo (“Nailed to Perpetual Anguish”, “Doomed Before Inception”, fucking blistering “Forging Arcane Heresy”) or more stripped down, brutal or churning  Immolation-y-ness (“”Worms of Rusted Congregation”, “Depths of Abomination”, “I am Nothing”-with its  unmistakable closing Immolation lurch) that heave and careen with heft, gusto, skill and satisfying intensity. The entire album delivers top notch material from start to the excellent finish of 8 minute monster “Jesus Died”( not including the outro), with no filler at all.

It’s no surprise at the quality of this release considering two of member also serve in one of The Czech Republic’s other fine death metal bands, and former labelmates Brutally Deceased (vocalist Michal Štěpánek and guitarist Tomáš Halama) so you know these guys do old school well enough, but the crafty mix of obvious influences with an energizing modern gloss make this release one of 2015s early best death metal releases, and a new beacon og quality for the Czech Death metal scene and Lavadome Productions.

[Visit the band's website]

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