There’s was a nice little run on under the radar technical death metal to finish 2012 and start 2013; relatively new or obscure acts like Inanimate Existence, Devolved, Ophidian I, Scent of Death, and  Nebulous aren’t household names in technical death metal, but if you are looking for some solid examples of the genre from some lesser known acts, you could no worse.

Released by fledgling Canadian label, Blast Head Records, who impressed with their first few releases by Tombthroat, Parasitized, and Splattered Entrails, look to continue their solid early career in 2013  with the debut from Alabama’s Nebulous, Scotland’s Scordatura and the stunning debut from Italy’s Ade.

Nebulous is a duo comprised of two guys that appear to be fresh faces on death metal with no other bands or credits to their names; Matt Rogers (Guitars) and Alex Pitts (vocals). But on The Quantum Transcendence of Death they deliver like a couple of seasoned veterans. And while the album isn’t breaking ground or doing anything that’s going to worry Origin, Gorod, Decrepit Birth, Obscura and such, they sure should get noticed and build on this confident debut.

 The Quantum Transcendence of Death clocks in under 30 minutes, so there is little waste on this CD. The 7 songs and two segues cover spacial/cosmic and cyber themes with a steady, brutal gait that’s technical without being too self absorbed and brutal without being ‘broodle’. There’s a slight Polish undertone (Decapitated, Trauma, Lost Soul, Yattering) to the overall sound, but with a dash of Origin‘s lyrical themes and presence. They aren’t big on solos or melodies instead relying on twitching stop start riffs and a few big mechanical lurches.

None of it really reaches and and grabs you with anything special, and of course its technical death metal, so there;s little in the way of memorability or catchy moments, but all of the songs are solid  and well played and produced with a nice polished, big, low end sound. From the hefty opening groove of “Catalyze” through the likes of “Sn 5270” and “Hivemind” to closer “Spectrums” the album is certainly a solid, satisfying example of the genre. Pitts has a standard deep growl- nothing forced or underwhelming and the guitar and bass work is par for the course with lots of twangy bass lines and choppy, jagged structure and pace. In all a pretty good, if unspectacular tech death metal release from a duo that can only improve on their sound and skill.

[Visit the band's website]

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