After their debut album, Devouring the Prophecy on Unique Leader records, what could be a better fit than signing to Willowtip records, already the home to other such masters of technical brutality such as Gorod, Dim Mak, Illogicist Carpharnaum, and delivering Willowtip’s first, eagerly awaited release of 2007?

Plying a similar form of complex yet, absorbable and solo filled savagery as label mates Gorod, Odious Mortem is technical, yet brutal death metal that has elements of Suffocation amid their vortex of notes and growls, making them easily one of the genre’s standouts along with Anata, Spawn of Possession, Psycroptic and such, but with slightly more digestible songs.

Along with the expected growl layered assault of intricately ferocious squealing, chugging notes and semi melodic solos, the Zach Ohren (All Shall Perish, As Blood Runs Black, Animosity) production shows the man can indeed do brutal death metal as well as deathcore, and delivers a scathing guitar tone with an impressive bottom end.

However, as with all albums of this genre, how you appreciate this album will be measured on your enjoyment of technical skill, not memorable songs or riffs. As stunning as standout bookend tracks like “Fragmented Oblivion” and “Collapse of Recreation”(featuring Watchtower’s Rob Jarzombek) are, the middle of the album, while teeming with sheer technical wizardry and violent riffs, blurs by in a landslide of notes and solos; excellent ones, but forgetful ones note the less. Still, that’s par for the course in the genre.

Ultimately though, Cryptic Implosion is an absolute must have for technical death metal fans and yet another outstanding addition to the Willowtip roster.

[Visit the band's website]

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