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Odious Mortem - Cryptic Implosion

Thursday, 29 November 2007

Editor's rating

8.0

out of 10

Reviewed by:
Chad Coup
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Thursday, 29 November 2007
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Music Information

Track Listing:
01. Fragmented Oblivion
02. The Endless Regression Of Mind
03. Dysmorphic Avulsion
04. Vile Progeny
05. Conjoint Species
06. Nux Vomica
07. Gestation Of Worms
08. Subcortical Desiccation
09. Domain Of The Eternal Paradox
10. Collapse Of Recreation

Artist: Odious Mortem
Title: Cryptic Implosion
Genre: Death Metal
Release Date: 24 April 2007
Record Label: Willowtip Records
Format: Full-length
Country: United States of America
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Editor review

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Overall rating (weighted)		8.0
Musicianship		8.0
Composition		8.0
Experimentation		8.0
Production		8.0
Value		8.0

Technical death metal is a very overcrowded genre of extreme music. It is becoming harder and harder to differentiate one band from another. Typically, death metal bands run the gamut from being brutal death to experimental death and everything in between. Thanks to the initial firing gunshots from those brilliant souls in the UK, Florida and Scandinavia twenty-odd years ago, death metal has now reached a level of mass production. Talented musicians are sprouting up overnight, getting a few other like-minded people into a room and recording demo tapes weekly. Death metal is a world-wide phenomenon, and in 2007, it's tough to find a band to really latch on to.

Enter Odious Mortem. The band started life in California around 2000, with their first demo, 'Gestation Of Worms,' released in 2003. They received a good fanbase on account of their debut album, 'Devouring The Prophecy,' being released on extreme death metal label Unique Leader the following year. Three whole years later we see the follow-up. How are these gifted musicians going to break into a genre so sterile, with technical and brutal death bands overshadowing them?

They meet them half way. Odious Mortem plays pulverizing brutal death in the vein of Decrepit Birth with the melody and composure of Spawn Of Possession. For someone who can't decide which death metal style, let alone band, to occupy his CD player, I'm happy to choose this album. It gives me exactly both kinds, in equal amounts, in just the right way.

It's amazing that these guys haven't been championed more. This band plays pretty complicated stuff. Founding member/guitarist Dan Eggers' leads and soloing are tasteful; also, they are tech as hell. A high amount of care went into making each solo in the album both beautiful to the ear and dissonant enough for fans of the genre to pick apart. There is also a guest appearance by Ron Jarzombek in the album's closing track, and it lends itself perfectly to the preceding tracks. KC Howard's old school death approach to the drum kit is heavily accented with cymbal crashes and blasts aplenty. Bassist Joel Horner does show a remarkable tact for the bass, never really popping out but never staying side-saddle to the guitar. Vocalist Anthony Trapani doesn't so much go for the gutturals as he roars with a lot of expression. He enunciates well and tries as hard to perform with his own instrument as the rest of his band members.

Rounding out the package is some really slick art by Par Olofsson (Spawn Of Possession, Psycroptic). There's really no better way to put it; Odious Mortem gets it right. It's not a compromise between two distinct styles of death metal, as one might think. Rather, it's yet another sub-faction that Odious Mortem and other like-minded bands have started to build.

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