"In But Not Of" is the third full-length album from the Long Island, New York-based progressive technical brutal death metal band, AFTERBIRTH. This is their first album on Willowtip Records and it will be released on October 20, 2023. It is thirty-five minutes and forty-five seconds long and has eleven tracks. This is their first album with keyboards and synthesizers, played by the session musician, Colin Marsten. Their sound on this album is a mixture of slam brutal guttural vocals, the forward-thinking approach of CEPHALIC CARNAGE, and the synthesizers and drums of RUSH. These disparate elements congeal into an irresistible eclectic sound.

After the short opening track, "Tightening The Screws," the album kicks off with "Devils With Dead Eyes." The track begins with screeching guitar feedback and then throws everything at you at once. There's some intense complicated drumming from Keith Harris, whose work on the entire album is legendary. There's guitar wizardry from Cody Drasser that, on this track, ranges from chugs in various tempos, galloping triplets, and more open progressive metal riffing. Will Smith's vocals range from low growls to even lower guttural noises. At first, they can be off-putting, but I urge you to just "go with it." As "Devils With Dead Eyes" features a filthy retching sound just before ending, the aptly named "Vomit On Humanity" follows. This one is a constantly evolving beast. There are bursts of grindcore-like speed, guttural vocals that sound like pigs fighting, death metal and progressive metal passages, and so much more.

The second half of "In But Not Of" has considerably more keyboards and synthesizers in the mix. Both "Hovering Human Head Drones" and "In But Not Of" have sparse vocal parts with the synthesizer playing high droning notes in a shoegaze fashion. These two tracks sound like they were heavily influenced by late seventies/early eighties RUSH and they manage to merge that sound with some truly disgusting death metal expertly. "Angels Feast On Flies" begins with a slow doom metal riff and rising synthesizer tones before everything breaks loose. Every member is giving all they have to the performance. The transition and resulting passage beginning at the two-minute mark is exhilarating. The keyboards sound dreamy, while the more aggressive parts are disgusting and I can't get enough of this sonic pairing. The following track, "Time Enough Tomorrow" is an ambient cinematic soundscape that works as a palate cleanser, preparing you for the final two tracks.

With "In But Not Of," AFTERBIRTH has leveled up every aspect of their signature sound. The ideas presented on "Four Dimensional Flesh" are more "fleshed" out this time around. Also, I've never heard a band that blends beauty with malignancy in the way that they do. Most other bands will mix clean and harsh vocals and call it a day. Instead, AFTERBIRTH gives you everything at once and leaves things a lot more open-ended. I couldn't be more impressed with this album.