Unfortunately, the third album from Sweden’s Sectu (formerly known as Cimmerian Dome) is liable to get crushed and unrecognized in 2014 stellar tech death releases, which is a shame as it’s a damn fine release in its own right and if you are looking for some tech death with a little more old school and organic feel, Nefarious should fit the bill perfectly.

I have not heard the band’s previous two albums, but I’m impressed enough with Nefarious to consider checking them out soon.  Their style is a style of death metal that’s certainly technical but has a bit of Sinister, Morbid Angel, latter Death and fellow trailblazing Swedes  Insision within their tech death sound. It’s technical but controlled and restrained with plenty of airy but tight riffs and a number of more classic death metal lopes and marches thrown in. It’s far from the all out tech death assaults of Origin, Beneath, Hour of Penance, Inanimate Existence, Near Death Condition, Omnihility or others released this year, but it’s serviceable, enjoyable and warrants some attention within this year’s bumper crop of releases.

Like the recent Abysmal Torment, the production is just a shade murkier and natural than some of the tech death releases from the bands above, giving the band a bit more of an old school feel along wit the more organic vocals, but the material is still technical, complex and skillful. And at 42 minutes, it hits that death metal sweet spot  (to record on one side of a 90 minute cassette) and it never wanders, drags or out stays its welcome.

Standouts have to be the slower crawl of “Perpetual Spectre” with a heavy Morbid Angel -esque “God of Emptiness/Where the Slime Live” vibe and echoey solos, twisty ‘Tenebrous” , cleverly busy lurch and buzz of “Convergence” and  two longer tracks, the six minute blaster “River of Oblivion” and the eight minute, crawling penultimate track, “Usurper”. “The Wanderer” wraps up the album nicely with a mice militant, almost Wagnerian take on death metal putting the bow on a no nonsense no frills death metal album that those wanting to go beyond the realms of Unique Leader’s 2014 dominance should seek out for some tech death metal with a little edge.

[Visit the band's website]

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