Burial In The Sky
Persistence of Thought
(Self-Release)
While it is a bit of a mouthful, atmospheric progressive tech death has become sort of a thing now, with groups like Fallujah and Rivers of Nihil continuing on in the tradition of Cynic. The style is at different points pretty and crushing, though getting right balance of atmosphere and attack can be tricky. Pennsylvania upstarts Burial In The Sky (not going into the astrophysics of how that would even work) really understand such a balance with their fantastic debut. Persistence of Thought takes the Fallujah formula and adds more proggy and Pink Floyd-ian sections as well as a greater emphasis on actual death metal. This isn’t just an excuse to chug along while tripping on a mixture of acid and coke (DO NOT RECOMMEND THAT, 0 stars). The group snagged Decrepit Birth drummer Samus Paulicelli to compose and perform the drums, and his meditative and powerful work behind the kit help ground the ambitious work. The album is clearly designed to be consumed in one entire sitting, and despite my general aversions to Pink Floyd, there are very few unfortunate lulls here. The band have a keen understanding of dynamics, making for a truly excellent listening experience throughout. The end of the the year is often a great time for unsigned bands to surprise while the industry takes its end of the year slumber, and Burial In The Sky can add yet another stellar death metal record to an already awesome year for the genre.
