Acausal
Intrusion - Panpsychism
USA
I, Voidhanger
Acausal Intrusion is a death metal
collective made up of musicians Nythroth (Feral Lord, Slog, etc.) and Cave
Ritual (Irradiated Marrow, Ar'lyxkq'wr, etc.), and “Panpsychism” is their third
full-length album since their formation in 2020.
Stylistically, this is experimental death metal with
a kind of “freeform" approach reminiscent of bands like Ulcerate, Gorguts
and even Morbid Angel. You never really know where the music is going to go
next, as each song consists of intricate time-changes and complex rhythms, but
at the same time there is also a lot of atmosphere.
Technical death metal gets a bad rap for being overproduced and lacking any sort of feeling, although that is certainly not the case with Acausal Intrusion; on the contrary, the production has a gritty and natural feel while still complementing the music with an audible mix. Think 90s tech-death like Atheist and Cryptopsy; those bands had all the technical chops without sounding like a mindless wankfest, and that’s exactly what Acausal Intrusion achieves with this release.
The tracks on this album range from four to eight minutes in length and feature dark soundscapes and head-twisting riffs that constantly keep you on your toes as the noose tightens around your neck. The drumming is on point and fits the overall structure perfectly, while the utterly barbaric vocals add a bestial element to the music.
I didn’t really know what to make of “Panpsychism” at first, though I knew I was being subjected to something special as every haunting layer and segment began to make sense. It's an album best listened to in its entirety in order fully appreciate its genius, though that doesn't mean you can’t pick out individual tracks. Highlights include: “Encoded Exagrams”, “Statical Universe” and “Molecular Entanglement”
All in all, “Panpsychism” is a solid oeuvre of well-crafted Death Metal with an experimental twist that’s also rough around the edges. Anyone who likes good death metal with an unconventional approach will thoroughly enjoy this album.