Album Review: Burial In The Sky – “The Consumed Self” 9.5/10 (Tech Death)

Written by Zax

• Burial In The Sky – The Consumed Self
• Technical/Progressive Death Metal from the United States
• Releases on August 13th, 2021 via Rising Nemesis Records
• 9.5/10

This is so damn near perfect. This is one of those records that feels like it was custom built for me. I can’t wait for this album to come out so you guys can experience this with me. In the meantime, make sure to clear a spot on your best list, because this will be on there. I mince no words when I tell your this record is nothing short of breathtaking.

Spotify

Burial In The Sky are a progressive/technical death metal band out of the United States, and The Consumed Self is their third record and their Rising Nemesis Records debut! To give you a good idea of what we’re working with here, they most closely resemble a mixture of Rivers Of Nihil and Desiderium, and that alone should tell you this is gonna be great.

The production is so robust and full sounding, which sort of gives the album a warm feeling when paired with the deep, smooth basslines. It’s plenty heavy as well though, specifically in the percussion. The kick drum sounds absolutely amazing, the sound is so tight and colossal in the mix, it really stands out and packs a punch.

The guitar work is gorgeous, simply put. The riffs are melodic and layered nicely, and the lead work is fire! Vocally we get a mixture of very well-performed screams and melodic clean vocals that feel imported straight from a post-hardcore band, which sounds weird but it definitely works.

Unfortunately, I can’t find who it was that made the cover art for this record, but I do want to take a second to acknowledge just how gorgeous it is! I love the way those oranges and purples blend together, it’s very eye-catching. Easily one of my favorite pieces of the year thus far.

If you’ve been reading my work for a while, maybe you’ve picked up on the fact that I fucking love the saxophone? Well, there’s a lot of saxophone on this record, it’s ear candy for me man, I can’t get enough of it. There’s also some other interesting instrumentation here like the accordion and the mandolin. All of this is blended perfectly and makes for a listen that is engaging and interesting all the way through.

These guys really outdid themselves, they’ve got a real masterpiece on their hands, and it will place very high on my album of the year list. Keep your eyes peeled for this one folks.

9.5/10