Written by Zax
- Sallow Moth – “Stasis Cocoon”
- Progressive Death Metal from the United States
- Released independently on July 2nd
- 8.8/10
With major thematic influences cited as Hellraiser and Magic The Gathering, I knew I was in for a ride going into this album, and I was, but it wasn’t quite the ride I was expecting. With a list of influences like that, paired with the album cover and a deep conceptual core, I was expecting a new age slice of hyper-technical wankery, which is something I dig so I was on board. Now, imagine my surprise when I throw this thing on to find thick, concrete motherfucking caveman riffs! That, my friends, is just the tip of the iceberg too.
https://sallowmoth.bandcamp.com/album/stasis-cocoon
This album is absolutely loaded with surprises that not only make it the best old-school tech death record of the year, but easily one of the most epic and exciting listening experiences I’ve heard in ages, and with only a 31 minute runtime, that’s damn impressive.
They make good use of their short time with some extraordinary pacing. The track “Drowner of Secrets, Bring To Light” offers an expansive 7 minute journey through dissonant progressive chaos, but then you have the cutthroat deathgrind banger that is “Fevered Visions.” The track clocks in at under 2 minutes and absolutely devastates your eardrums, seriously one of the most brutal things I’ve heard all year. The title track kicks off with some righteously badass NWOBHM-esque riffage too. Basically what I’m getting at is the amount of variety shown here is pretty immaculate.
You can really tell just how much thought went into the crafting of this record. There are so many layers and little bells and whistles that just make this record come to life, whether it be in small synth accents or interesting structural elements, it just keeps you coming back for more.
As I mentioned earlier, this is a concept album. It’s actually the third part of a story that has ran throughout the band’s whole discography. It’s an elaborate sci-fi fantasy world that I won’t get into here, but I do highly suggest reading it, it can be found on their Bandcamp page. One thing’s for sure, it lives up to the absolutely wild Adam Burke piece on the cover.
I definitely see this album being one if the unsung heroes of 2021’s extreme metal output. This is unique, bold, and exciting at every turn. Do not sleep on Sallow Moth.
8.8
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