Much in the same with metal itself, Death Metal is a sub-genre consisting of many realms. From the absolute depths of Brutal Death Metal to the spires of Melodic Death Metal and far beyond, there’s a lot of ground to cover. Personally, one of my favorite realms of the sub-genre is in the beyond section – Experimental Death Metal. Bands like Gorguts, Ulcerate, Plebeian Grandstand, and Voidspawn have brought such evil joy to my life.
Another band that serves as absolutely no exception is Artificial Brain. This musical unit is damn near destined for cult success within the spectrum of metal music. They have an absolutely raw style intended to leave the listener guessing what the hell kind of feat they may pull off next.
They’ve stood out ever since their 2011 emergence but it was their 2014 full-length “Labyrinth Constellation” that really landed this band on the map. That record was an all out aural assault transporting listeners to an intergalactic warzone of ungodly proportions.
Now, they’re back! This year saw the release of their sophomore full-length album “Infrared Horizon”. That means 10 brand new tracks of steamrolling, out of the box Death Metal with no shortage of talent to boot!
Several tracks stand out amongst the fray. The single “Synthesized Instinct” had me at the very first listen. The surprising, more melodic elements struck a chord with me when they released the track a few months back. The title track and second single “Infrared Horizon” featuring none other than The Black Dahlia Murder’s Trevor Strnad is also quite notable. The opening track “Floating In Delirium” hammered its way into my head quite admirably as well. “Estranged From Orbit”, “Static Shattering”, and the album ender “Ash Eclipse” also stood out as notables during the experience. Hell, honestly every track from this record makes for a memorable listen for one reason or another.
As hinted with the namedrop of “Synthesized Instinct” above, there’s an interesting evolution of sound that happens on this album. It may just be me, but there seems to be more elements of melodic thinking within this record. That’s not to say past “Labyrinth Constellation” riffs on the likes of “Wired Opposites” and “Bastard Planet” didn’t have beautiful moments of this. To me, it just seems more prominent on “Infrared Horizon”. For a number of these tracks, it would be safe to say this marks a natural, well developed evolution for the band.
Another key difference seems to be in the production of this album. Considering the same dude (Colin Marston) who produced/recorded/mixed/mastered “Labyrinth Constellation” also worked on “Infrared Horizon”, this may seem somewhat contradictory. However, it seems that “Labyrinth Constellation” had a clearer sound to it while “Infrared Horizon” is a bit more muddy. Who knows if this was intentional as the band has always had, at least in my ears, a bit of a vintage cassette-style sound of Death. However, it may rub some listeners the wrong way. I personally enjoy it but I’ve heard differing opinions. Ultimately, it’s all objective.
When push comes to shove, it’s clear that Artificial Brain have once again reached metallic greatness with “Infrared Horizon”. This is a fearsome and exciting record from start to finish. It marks significant evolutionary steps from the band, further making their case to stand among the modern greats of Death Metal. One could easily assume their fandom will continue to swell throughout the metal underground, and with good reason! The prospect of further evolution from this point is exciting to say the least.
If you’re interested in giving a listen for youself, you can do so by checking the YouTube links up above. Also, note that the album is currently available for purchase and streaming through just about all major platforms. To get the goods and maybe some merch straight from the source, you can CLICK HERE.
Good day to you good people.
