Inanimate Existence has brought out a new record on the 24th of June throughout Unique Leader Records. Knowing Inanimate Existence already since they released their first record ‘Liberation Through Hearing’ this album really was high on my want-list. Especially when I saw the amazing artwork of A Never-Ending Cycle Of Atonement, literally museum-worthy. With really high expectation, I started reviewing this album.

 

This 8-track beast of an album begins with an atmospheric/uplifting intro. It somewhat prepares you for the technical mayhem that’s going to hit you right in the face. ‘Om Mani Padme Um’ couldn’t prepare you any better for the next track which is called ‘Omen’. Immediately, Inanimate Existence reminds you why the genre is called Technical death metal. This heavier version of bands like Origin and Fallujah, gives you the urge and the excitement throughout the whole song. Before you know, you’ve blasted your way towards the 3rd song of ‘A Never-Ending Cycle Of Atonement’ which is called ‘Bioluminescent Photophores’.

 

So far, So good I can say. Lately I’ve been listening to the new Fallujah and some Cytotoxin, but this song has elements of both bands (and of course their own material) in it. The fast sweep-picking and tapping really are familiar since I listen a lot to Cytotoxin. The heavy technical riffs are definitely an updated version of the previous album from Inanimate Existence. More technical but to some other tech-death bands, Inanimate Existence isn’t surprising you with abrupt pace changes. You feel them coming in some way. But that is about to change with the next song ‘The Rune of Destruction’.

In this song, the surprises that you normally have with Tech-Death bands, are presented. Again the amazingly fast style of playing is thrown at you. Halfway throughout the song theirs an enchanting voice which sounds like an Elf from The Lord Of The Rings to my ears. With the clean guitars in ‘The Rune Of Destruction’ Inanimate Existence prove that they also can master the technical clean riffs. Expecting that ‘The Catacomb of Mirrors’ will contain the same song-setup, I started listening to it.

 

Starting with an eerie intro which continues through the first 30 seconds, Inanimate Existence points out that the bass-guitar has a big role in their style of music. When their clean guitar combined with the heavy bass, you know that a heavy part is coming. And yes, they do it again, with blasting beats and solo’s where your wrist hurts by even listening to it. Hopefully the next song ‘Staring Through Fire’ is going to stand out from all the other songs.

Sadly, my wrist is hurting more and more. Why? LISTEN TO THE SOLO’S!!! Damn, I love the small solo’s on ‘Staring Through Fire’. This song quite has it all. Blasting beats and atmospheric-like clean parts combined with wrist-breaking solo’s that oddly remind me of solo’s from Cytotoxin and Bloodshot Dawn.

 

This 9:21 minute long beast is the second to last song and it’s called ‘Out of Body Experience’. I’m just going to sit here and be amazed by this sledgehammer. With double-riffing guitars almost throughout the whole song, I am more amazed than with the other songs. Not that the other songs are less mind-boggling, but 9 fucking minutes long of constantly riffing and almost with no breaks, really amazes me. Last but not least is the song ‘Dueling Shadows’  

I absolutely love this title. For me this song couldn’t be a better ending song to an album. It has a feeling around it as if the album-journey has ended. And it so has for me.

 

This album deserves an 9 out of 10.