On September 11, 2020, SPECTRUM OF DELUSION released "Neoconception." They are a technical death metal band from the Netherlands. While they formed in 2013, they released their debut album "Esoteric Entity". "Neoconception" will be the band's first release with The Artisan Era.

SPECTRUM OF DELUSION has a familiar sound for those that are fans of modern technical death metal bands. The clean production, technical proficiency, and unique songwriting are all present. For new listeners, their sound is aggressive and technical in equal measure. Atypical song structures and complex rhythms are also found. One of my favorite elements of this album is the fretless bass, a common element in the genre that adds another layer of interest to the music. Another is the vocals, mainly a snarling growl with a bit of drawl, though the vocalist shows fantastic vocal versatility on a few tracks.

The introduction to the album's themes and to the band's sound starts with "Downfall," an instrumental display of technical musicianship except for brief voiceovers. "Defunct Reality" packs a lot of interesting technical guitar and bass work, with constant tempo changes aided by frantic drumming. This trend continues for much of the album. It's hard to pick a favorite track as they're all great displays of musicianship and songwriting. There are definitely moments that stand out, however. For example, on "Welcome Death", there is a break from the technical onslaught as the usual technical show takes a backseat to the strong groove present on this track.

Nick Padovani from EQUIPOISE (another great technical death metal band) performs acoustic guitars on several tracks: "Pointless Endeavor", "Torment Of Being", "Into Another Formation", "Bringing Serenity", "Destruction" and "To Tower Over All Other". The presence isn't always obvious, though when it is, it adds a melodic tone to the music. One example is "Into Another Formation", a standout track. The technical aggression balances out the melodic instrumentation. "Bringing Serenity" is another track in which the acoustic guitar is noticeable. It's a folksy instrumental that offers a respite from the technicality. Another guest musician is Robbert Kok from DISAVOWED (a brutal death metal band that is also from the Netherlands), who performs vocals on "To Tower Over All Other". His vocals add a subterranean punch to the penultimate track.

The Artisan Era roster is a consistent and great label of progressive and technical extreme music. SPECTRUM OF DELUSION is no exception. While they would sound familiar to fans of this niche in metal, they also stand out for their songwriting and pacing. Not once while listening to this album did the band let technicality take away from enjoyment of the record. Fans of BEYOND CREATION, EQUIPOISE, and other Artisan Era bands should check out this band.