Formed in 2004 out of Brasov, Romania, CODERED is a technical death metal band that blends both an old and new school sound. Splitting up in 2007 after the the original drummer Gabi Barani left the country, Andrei Calmuc resurrected the project in 2010 with bassist Marius Muntean and drummer Septimiu Hărşan, recording a single much more brutal than their original work, titled "Native Monster." Settling with their current lineup by replacing Muntean with Ioan Campian, in June 2012 the four piece recorded the single "The Way of Nibiru," solidifying their new sound. They proceeded to announce their debut album, "Dominions of Our Deceitful Beliefs," set to be recorded at Mana Recording Studios in Florida, US, mastered by Brian Elliot.

Fast forward to 2018 and we have a remastered version of this album, originally recorded in September of 2013, and it is a serious upgraded indeed. Upon listening, right away you can see why people compare the quartet to the likes of VADER and MORBID ANGEL. The album is a pummeling series of sheer brutality. "At His Appearance Dark Red" slowly edges the listener into the impending battering with palm mutes and tremolo picking, stopping only to let you catch your breath, but only briefly. The track picks right up and in come some seriously brutal low gutterals that remind me much of BENEATH THE MASSACRE, and it suits the tech death flair rather well.

"Symptoms of General Decay" gives us a taste of just how talented drummer Septimiu Hărşan is, fleshing out some solid blast beats throughout the song. We also made aware of the bassist Ioan Campian here, the tone reminding me of old school CYNIC. It's not often the bass is all that audible in a death metal act and it is quite satisfying in this particular song. Up next, the aforementioned single "Way of Nibiru" keeps the beatdown going with more blasts and tremolo picking, in between some well executed grooves. "Crowd Control" shows the listener that CODERED knows a thing or two about melody, with a few solos that add to the overall atmosphere, supplementing them with dissonant chords, and the following track "Neutron Collision" exemplifies these elements even further.

The grooviest track on the album, in my opinion, "Above Desolation" continues the unrelenting assault with some speedy trem picking to remind us why they are compared to MORBID ANGEL. It makes one wonder if recording in Florida was an accident or not. The eight minute epic, "The Sixth Sun" definitely seems to give off an imagery the album cover suggests, with dissonant chords, palm harmonics and some truly headbangable skank blasts. It's hard not to fall in love with this track. The final track, "Burning Wrath" is precisely why I compare the four piece to BENEATH THE MASSACRE, starting with a breakdown with suffocating stops and a dash of 1200 BPM double bass drumming. The track is a fitting end to the album for its exemplary diversity, employing all the elements previously shown throughout the album. Fading out, the album includes a bonus track "I'm the One," which only furthers their brutal agenda.

I adore this album and I think you will too if you are into brutal tech death. It is the definition of a solid record and completely deserving of the remastering. I've listened to it five times and plan to listen to it even more.