Technical Death Metal is an evolution of the main model of Death Metal when musicians understood that impose a good technical level on the genre wouldn’t tear its natural brutality and appeal. Of course that pioneers as MORBID ANGEL, DEATH, PESTILENCE, ATHEIST, CYNIC, NOCTURNUS stated the foundations of the genre, but many contributions were done since the 90s. And as a heir of their load is the North American duet SUBLATION here with this EP, “On the Advancement of Decay”. The vocalist/drums programmer Danny Piselli did the production, sound engineering and mixing of the EP, with the mastered being done by Sound Splitter Studio. The efforts were done in the sense of using a model of sonority that enables the band to express its musical ideas clearly (in other words, allowing the full understanding of what’s being played by the hearers); on other hand, the instrumental tunes are distorted and nasty as the genre demands. And the artwork is signed by Misha Mono, an art that is disturbing and aggressive, and that fits on the band’s musical work.

Besides Technical Death Metal is a genre that is full of bands and eroded by the use, this duet shows some fresh ideas, as the melodic arrangements in some points, with the use of introspective outros in some songs (as on “Like a Fire That Consumes All Before It”). The technical level is high (something obvious), but not in a dispersive way, far from it: the band’s songs are solid and coherent. Obviously they can mature a bit more (JUST A BIT, PLEASE), but they are in the right path. The EP shows 7 very good songs (what a waste, because they could bring more songs for the fans), with better moments being heard on “Congenital Putrescence” (a very good balance between aggressiveness and technical appeal can be heard, with excellent guitars and bass arrangements), “Like a Fire That Consumes All Before It” (a massive blow of aggressiveness tempered with some parts full of groove, with fine grunts on the vocals), “Eclipse Awe” (fine bitter melodic arrangements can be heard on the guitars, but the song has a focus more into something more aggressive, and on the additional vocals is Rocco Minichiello, the Italian singer of RELEASE THE BLACKNESS), and “This Little Death” (some riffing reminds early Norwegian Black Metal acts, and it’s a filthy and nasty song full of extreme hooks), but all the songs are really very good.

Again: SUBLATION must evolve a bit more (some adjustments on the vocals tunes to give diversity to the songs would be a good idea, but’s just a tip, not a demand, please); but for now, “On Advancement of Decay” depicts a very good work with a tendency to be great in the future.

Listen to it: https://sublationband.bandcamp.com/album/on-the-advancement-of-decay