The mutations that exist in Metal genres are signs of a living musical genre as a role, because they show that things are evolving, and evolution isn't nothing more than the driving force to adapt to new conditions, and so on, to keep alive. It's nothing complicated to be understood, because as new generations come (and the older ones fade) and technologies evolve, things change. And maybe the work of the North American quartet ASSIMILATOR is proving this argument due what is heard on the band's first release, "Assimilator".

Formerly known as DEATH ON FIRE, the band brings something hard to describe in musical matters, because sometimes seems like a Groove Death/Thrash Metal act, on others as a Groove Thrash/Melodic Death Metal band, and on others purely as a Melodic Death Metal entity. But it doesn't mean that they're shooting to every side and lack of a personality, no, it's not this: their music is just hard to fit perfectly on a pre-existing genre, so it means that it's extremely personal. It's aggressive and abrasive with Groove Metal touches, but using good melodic elements inherited from Gothenburg Death Metal, and many Groove Thrash Metal hooks. And for sure it's good! The sonority of the album is abrasive and dense, but always keeping things in a way that's not hard to understand. The band uses good instrumental tunes that fit on what they play (especially on the guitars, but the drums could be better), and it improves the 'catchy feeling' that permeates the album.

As one can expect, the band is rich on instrumental arrangements and ambiences, and these aspects bring things to a point that's hard to resist to their work. Just take a bit on "Slave" (it's a Melodic Death Metal song with excellent guitars and arrangements, and vocals with tunes similar to Chuck Schuldiner's old style in some moments), "Burial Hymn" (the slow tempos and an obvious Groove Thrash Metal tendency of this one are permeated by excellent melodies and very good work of bass guitar and drums leading the rhythm shifts), "The Dying Light" (another moment with obvious Groove Metal/Southern Rock elements), "In a Hell of Our Own Design" (very good hooks can be heard, and what amazing energy is shown on the contrasts between aggressive and introspective moments), "A Heart So White" (excellent guitars full of energy with riffs that are hard to forget and good melodic solos, and prepared to an introspective and deeper part that exists on it), and "Carry Me Home". This set is fine to begin to hear this album.

Be welcome, ASSIMILATOR, and as "Assimilator" shows, you have your space in the scene for sure!