Album Review: Summoning The Lich - "United In Chaos" 8 (Death Metal)

Written by Zax

Summoning The Lich – United In Chaos
Melodic Death Metal/Deathcore from the United States
Released on February 26th, 2021 via Prosthetic Records
8/10

I’m a pretty busy guy. I listen to a ton of stuff, I’d listen to everything if I could, but it’s simply not in the cards. I heard about this new Summoning The Lich album upon release, but for a while there it just fell by the wayside for me. After some incredibly positive recommendations from friends and readers, and Noob Heavy’s own Carcassbomb putting the record on their mid-year best list, I decided to check it out!

https://summoningthelich.bandcamp.com/
Spotify

It’s a good thing I did too, cause this is one of the most fun extreme metal experiences you’ll find in 2021, right up there with Brand Of Sacrifice’s Lifeblood. It’s a very engaging and dynamic listen that keeps you hooked all the way through. For a debut album, I found that very impressive.

For the impending Halloween season that’s a bit closer than I’d like to admit, this record is going to be perfect. They nail this very nice, spooky atmosphere that is easily one of the biggest selling point for the record!

Going into the album, the Black Dahlia Murder comparisons had me a bit worried, as I’m very vocally not a fan. Undoubtedly the influence is there, but these guys have a more gripping atmosphere and a better handle on genuinely catchy riffage. The guitar tone on here is just perfect and the melodies really pop. They also throw in some more hooky moments lyrically that make everything stick with you, specifically on the tracks “Descend” and “Acid Reign.”

Aside from the flashy melodeath riffage, this album also carries a healthy dose of deathcore influence. Occasionally we’ll get some nasty, beefy riffs that really ramp up the intensity. The vocals mostly consist of very raw high-pitched screams, though they also throw in some gnarly ass slam-esque gutturals which adds some nice variety.

Overall this is a relatively palatable metal record with enough energy and genuine talent behind it to get any metalhead on board. These guys are firing on all cylinders, and quite frankly I’m excited to see where they take this.