Iniquitous- grossly unfair or morally wrong.
Throughout our lives we will continue to face iniquity from every front- Our families, our friends, our jobs, even our Churches. Hell, Tarantino even used the concept as a basis for Pulp Fiction. You know the old adages. "Life's not fair." "Life's a bitch, and then you die." Nobody has seemed to channel their own experiences of iniquity so precisely, so poetically as Texan/Italian technical death metal outfit Cortexiphan's debut full-length, Iniquitous.
After exploding onto the internet Tech Death scene in 2012 with the bombastic, powerful debut ep, Anathema: The Murk. The Scorn. The Guilt., and a slew of lineup changes (including the addition of Italian bassist Nicolo Paracchini, formerly of Novara) and the introduction of new vocalist and overall deathcore juggernaut Andrew Patterson, the group has reconvened to put out 2016's most flawless metal alum yet. Adding influences from everything, from smooth, buttery acoustic guitars to absolutely mind boggling progressive metal, Iniquitous is sure to have even the most hardened metal elitists shaving their neckbeards and headbanging into oblivion- air guitar solos and all.
While the lyrics to Anathema were more or less based solely on horror films, the lyrics on this new project seem to tie directly into the title and theme of the album. While "Son of Sam" draws influence from an actual serial murderer (look him up, dude is FUCKED), songs like the title track and "The Lunatic Notion" see Patterson at his angriest and most political, pointing out the misdeeds and inhuman actions taken by the nation's powerful and elite politicians and corporations. While Lunatic Notion deals with the dynamic of the 99% vs the 1%, the title track redirects that outrage at organized religion, in this case, radical Islam. While being reminiscent of but not a direct rip off of Holy War by Thy Art Is Murder, Patterson grunts and shrieks his message home- that even the most peaceful communities can be corrupted by religious "prophecies". Let it not be said that Patterson strays too far from the themes set up by his predecessor, however, as tracks like Convergence and The Valley of the Dark Lords are rife with occultist and horror themes that would sound over-the-top to even the most notorious Black and Death Metal bands alike, albeit in the best way possible.
While previous vocalist/lyricist Dixon Jong was a powerhouse in his own right, he has nothing on newcomer Andrew Patterson. Throughout each of the twelve towering tracks on Iniquitous, Patterson shines through, adding more heft and grit to every bark, every growl, every shriek, every yell he lets loose from his throat. While tracks like opener The Big Sleep and Liquid see him more subdued, using more of his lower register than anything else, songs like Son of Sam (which happens to be my personal favorite on the album) and Man Made Plague are, simply put, stunning examples of his absolutely intimidating vocal range. Patterson channels the likes of Deathcore and Death Metal legends such as Adam Warren, Tyler Shelton, George Fisher, and the late Mitch Lucker all while giving a unique and standout twist on the vocal styles of the four previously mentioned. His standout performance on this new album is easily Son of Sam. Seriously. Listen to that fucking song.
Where Patterson is the voice and the verse of Cortexiphan, Guitarist/producer Steven Rose and bassist Nicolo Paracchini are the gut and the emotion. Every last second of this album is choc-full of dizzying leads, skin-shredding solos, ruthless riffing, and MONSTROUS drumming, courtesy of Rose's studio know-how. For each of the twelve titans that comprise Iniquitous, Rose shows the world what he's truly made of. From his somber, sugary acoustic playing in "The Big Sleep" to his mind-numbing speed in Man Made Plague, Rose shreds through the listener's brain, reducing it to a grey, murky mess. Every song is performed flawlessly, every note hits harder than the last, every riff and lead harmony as perplexing as can be. Songs like the title track and album closer "Great Human Woe" are his standout performances, as here, Rose shows his peers his metaphorical testicles, and promptly smears them across the collective face of the new tech death scene. Assisting Rose in his quest to glory is bassist Paracchini, the sole non-american member of the band. While Rose is a fretboard wizard in his own right, Paracchini compliments him with some of the most technically complex and inventive bass playing I've ever had the pleasure of hearing. Combining a crisp, thick tone with playing that sounds like he has ten fingers on each hand, Paracchini adds extra heft and aggression to each of Rose's riffs, filling them out in the most mechanically precise way possible. Songs like the title track and "Convergence" see him straying from the root notes in order to stand out in the mix, giving some of the most creative bass licks the metal world has seen since Master of Puppets was released thirty years ago. Son of Sam and the Valley of the Dark Lords see him at his most subdued, although that is not at all a bad thing, as his playing is perfectly in sync with the perplexing speed of Rose's riffs. These two masters of the metal riff provide the catchiest tech death instrumentation to come out in over a decade.
While people outside of the Death Metal scene may not be too keen on Cortexiphan's peers, they'd be foolish to not give this project a spin. From Patterson's unholy vocals to Rose and Paracchini's terrifying technical prowess, metal snobs will be hard pressed to find a single thing they dislike about this new record. The world isn't fair. Cortexiphan is here to guide you to the truth. Take heed.
RATING: 5 out of 5 strings popping mid-solo.
FFO: Fallujah, the Faceless, the Black Dahlia Murder
you can find Cortexiphan at:
https://www.facebook.com/CortexiphanMetal
cortexiphan.bandcamp.com
