MYSTICAL DEATH - ACROSS

Immediately, “Apophenia” is full of aggression and technical prowess, crashing down with prog-death chaos. “Laniakea” continues the energy, electronic and full of varying shifts to keep things interesting, everchanging and shifting. As an album, Across is forever transforming. 

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“Inundant” finds itself on the heavier side, full of beating blast kicks and energetic guitar soloing. Mystic provides life to vocals, lyrics and instruments as well as programming. There’s very technical riffing, deep rolling death screams and plenty of interesting play between a hybrid of the death, prog and technical genres. “Lacerate” continues with this sound, keeping the energies high. David Diefenderfer’s run on harsh vocals are controlled and brutal, shaking foundations.

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“Empathy” demonstrates the unexpected nature of Across, starting tranquil with saxophone and softness, before shifting once again into ferociousness and a chaotic saxophone section, showing both sides of the coin. “Kurtosis” is pure energy and constant beats, chock full of atmosphere and textured riffing while title song “Across” is full of mystical distortion and Vixi Fox’s clean and convicted vocals that carry weight. Two very different songs in a short time.

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“Thalassa” invokes the ocean, coarse voices in duet with the heavenly operatic, epic and tossing scales back and forth. The album ends with two instrumentals, “Voyagers” and “Sanctus,” the latter of which is an orchestral piece that completely subverts expectations. The imagination of the group as a unit seems endless – and it is exactly that abruptness that forms the journey of their sound.

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Across is unexpected and flits through time signatures, rooted in traditions of death metal while pushing the edges of the frayed envelope to create this celebration of collaboration, forming a unique production that is bound to grip listeners just discovering them.

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SCORE 9/10

Reviewed by GhostinthearmouR

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