After eight long years, the Brutal/Technical Death Metal band SPIRITUAL DECEPTION has come forth with their very first full-length album “Semitae Mentis.”  For those of you who have never heard of them, SPIRITUAL DECEPTION is a four-man group from Milan, Italy.  The band was founded in June 2016 by guitarist/vocalist Mirko Frontini and (now former) vocalist Luca Zanlorenzi, after they laid to rest their previous Melodic Death Metal/Metalcore project HUMANS ABLAZE.  After releasing three EPs over the past six years, it was only a matter of time before SPIRITUAL DECEPTION would give us their first studio album.  As a fan of Brutal Death Metal and Technical Death Metal myself, I can confidently say that “Semitae Mentis” was worth the wait

The first three tracks of this album are also the first three of a four-part segment titled “Decadence.”  The opening track “The I Swells…(Decadence pt. I)” starts and ends with some keyboard playing, with a short Brutal/Technical Death Metal segment in between to give us a taste of the band’s heavy style.  “Atavic Future (Decadence pt. II)” elaborates on this, as they lash out with some incredibly fast blast beats and double bass from Manuel del Giudice and vicious vocals from Mirko Frontini.  The third song “The Days of Sleep (Decadence pt. III)” is the longest of the “Decadence” series as well as the most intense, especially with some tempo drops/breakdowns and background orchestra.  “Beyond Perception and Matter” opens with a short drum solo from del Giudice, before Mirko Frontini and Riccardo Maccarana join in with their shredding guitar riffs.  The standalone bass riffs from Billy Repalam at the end of the track was a nice touch too, especially when they also serve as the intro to “Dirac Sea.”  This track is particularly good, because it features an additional guitarist: special guest Luc Lemay of the Canadian Technical Death/Avant-garde Metal band GORGUTS.  After giving us a total of 19 minutes of suffocating Death Metal by far, SPIRITUAL DECEPTION switches gears and delivers a 2 ½-minute instrumental track called “The Night Opens.”  The track’s name perfectly matches the eerie mood that the acoustic guitar and violin creates.  After a full-fledged assault from “On the Edge of Abyss,” we get another special guest on the next song: the one and only Karl Sanders, vocalist and guitarist of the American technical death band NILE.  SPIRITUAL DECEPTION decides to close their album with a 9-minute long track called “...to the Coldest Decline (Decadence pt. IV)”.  It’s the fourth and final segment of the “Decadence” series.  While I didn’t see the need to drag it on for 9 minutes, it still stands as a solid closing to “Semitae Mentis.”

I had very little to complain about with SPIRITUAL DECEPTION’s debut album.  After all, when there are also two legendary Technical Death Metal guitarists from different bands featured on this album, you know you’re only going to get the best out of this.  So if you’re not too shy to venture into a new Technical Death Metal band, then check out “Semitae Mentis” by SPIRITUAL DECEPTION and enjoy the neck-breaking ride.