The first thing that struck me about this release was the killer artwork, promising no-bullshit, old-school DM with a blackened edge. That’s not the full picture though: Embrional certainly sound like a product of their nativePoland, hammering the listener into oblivion with their relentless, blistering assault, but their intricate technicality is fused with strong progressive and melodic elements as well.
There’s a definite Immolation streak running through the songs, with massive, angular riffs that rear up and crash back down repeatedly to constant mini-bursts of serrated tremolo riffing and clattering drums, the time-signatures shifting constantly as the songs press on in a rolling, pounding fashion that suggests cathedral masonry being systematically pulverised into dust. Add to that the vocals, which tend towards a distinctly Ross Dolan-esque roar. This is combined with sharp, clinical hooks and an indulgently-melodic tech-death approach, albeit with the latter kept reigned in and only allowed to flourish briefly before being swallowed up by another punishing salvo. Which is another way of saying that the songs manage to retain a gritty, savage edge whilst actually being highly polished and melodic. It’s a strange dual-assault on the senses, but it works extremely well throughout.
‘The Last Step Into Nothingness’ for example has a main riff that sounds like it belongs on ‘Unholy Cult’, shifting from there into jagged breakdowns, frantic melodic stabs that hint at Decrepit Birth, and a rich, slow-sweeping solo before the momentum slowly ebbs away in one of those moribund, paroxysmal passages Immolation love to wind down their songs with. ‘Bestial Torture’ meanwhile is a chaotic blur of manic riffs snapping at the heels of a towering, churning midsection.
Other songs are even more intense, such as ‘Disgraceful Enslavement’ with its walls of punishing atonal riffing battling for space alongside swells of labyrinthine, Suffocation-esque pummeling, sudden flailing grooves and wild, uber-melodic tangents, its ferocious pace never letting up for an instant. There are occasional nods too to the mechanical style of classic Decapitated, such as the tight, burst-fire riffing at the end of ‘Dismal Symbol’, or the slabs of delirious, mid-tempo chugging that bookend ‘Vermin of The Earth’.
It all adds up to an engaging and satisfying album, striking a good balance between breakneck brute-force and overt technicality whilst remaining rich in texture and atmosphere. There’s even a fleeting acoustic instrumental track thrown in amongst the carnage in the form of ‘Beyond the Abyss’; a somber and delicate classical piece that turns into something quite beautiful yet somehow still fits in. ‘Absolutely Anti-Human Behaviours’ is an extremely well-constructed album, and whilst the various elements that make up its sound might be familiar, it remains an intelligent and hugely enjoyable listen. If you like your death metal crushing yet complex, then this is definitely one to check out.
(9/10 Erich Zann)
Leave a Reply