Proudly, the city of Ludwigshafen, Germany can claim to be home to this five man ensemble. SPHERON combines the intense guttural vocals of Daniel Spoor with the technical and intricate guitar talents of Tobias Alter and Mark Walther, with the driving and unapologetic rhythms of Matthias Minor on bass and Tobias Blach on drums. Combined, this quintet offers up their own unrelenting twist of Death Metal.

Formed in 2008, the band still boasts its original line up. An early demo was recorded in 2008, but it wasn't until 2010 until their first EP, "To Dissect Paper" was released.  Over twenty minutes in length, "To Dissect Paper" boasted five tracks of hard hitting death metal sure to grab attention.

2013 would bring a much anticipated follow up release, bringing the full length debut album "Ecstasy Of God". For SPHERON fans this would prove to be an album worth waiting for.  Produced at Iguana Studios with Christoph Brandes, "Ecstasy Of God" is packed with 12 full tracks of diverse and intricate Death Metal that will leave you wanting for more.

Lightning fast tempos begin from the opening track "A Means To An End" but even above and beyond the speed other aspects become apparent within this gem. A sturdy foundation of Death Metal is evident but the interesting part is how they manage to intermingle other musical components; some subtly, and some very apparently. There's a hint of Doom, a pinch of tenderness, a dash of Blues, and a small slice of Progressive Metal looming somewhere in this murky cauldron.

Unafraid test their musical boundaries, SPHERON have successfully shown how diverse death metal can be. This isn't an album where each track sounds almost identical to the one before. Far from it. Tempos shift from extreme to melodic without warning and without deviating from its Death Metal grounding. "The Beheaded Coachman" quickly became a favorite track with its aggressive, in for the kill approach.  "Saturnian Satellites" was a standout track as well for its atmosphere and tempo. Surprisingly the album closes with slower, seething, "From Glint To Crackling".

With its roots deeply embedded in Death Metal, Ecstasy of God is an extremely well-crafted album. Strong lyrics combine with equally strong and highly technical performances by each member. Considering the quality and craftsmanship, it's difficult to believe it's a debut album. It will be very interesting to see what happens in the future with SPHERON and how they can build on and expand from this release.