Review Summary: Interdimensional expansion
Concept and aesthetics have been gaining prominence in extreme music over the decades, often serving as the first point of contact between the artist and the audience. Visuals have the power to both seduce and repel; often labeling the style and directing it towards specific niches. In the case of brutal death metal, generally speaking, the visual layer's main goal is to shock the viewer, alerting them to the violent content hidden within, while unveiling what kind of metal they should be expecting. Though bands like Dying Fetus or Cannibal Corpse proudly sport this violent look, others opt for different aesthetic paths, and judging by the polychromatic "interdimensional weirdo on the cover", it doesn't take long to realize which road the Long Island (NY) lads have taken. The strange multi-colored artwork by Alex Eckman Lawn, together with the album title,
In But Not Of, create an intriguing first impression, somehow hinting that the music of this new chapter is not of this world, despite being here, at this specific moment in time. An idea that fits in with Afterbirth's unconventional progressive brutal death metal style.
The two singles, which dropped a month apart, served as a perfect introduction to the album, as they established a bridge with the past (Tightening The Screws) while introducing new tones to the sound palette (Hovering Human Head Drones). There is a sense of musical expansion in
In But Not Of, a feeling of growth and greater openness, which gives it a more accessible and colorful nature, often revealing a more psychedelic personality. Although the atmospheric component is not new to the band, being a structural part of their DNA, it has never been as prominent as it is now. The frequent spacey fingerpicking and the synthesizers provided by producer Colin Marston enhance this more ethereal side, pushing
In But Not Of into softer, more contemplative territory. 'Hovering Human Head Drones' or the instrumental 'Time Enough Tomorrow', which has a strong focus on keyboards, are the finest examples of the album's more dreamy dimension, along with the sexy fingerpicking in 'Vivisected Psychopomp' and the sinister onset of 'Angels Feast On Flies'. It is therefore reasonable to say that In But Not Of is the band's most accessible record to date, despite never losing touch with the band's primal, more aggressive roots. The opener's Cannibal Corpse-esque section or the death-thrash segments of the subsequent 'Devils With Dead Eyes', at times reminiscent of Possessed, evoke the lad’s early influences while highlighting the album's rawer tones. The band is at its best when these contrasts touch and interconnect, as in 'Death Invents Itself', arguably one of the catchiest songs the collective has ever recorded, or in the climactic kick-off and consequent psychedelic fingerpicking of the closer, 'Succumb To Life'. However, despite its eclecticism and progressive spirit,
In But Not Of never truly surprises creatively, in the sense that it fails to present any moments of sheer genius that could catapult the quartet to the top of the food chain, into the domain of the extreme metal gods. Although it may seem paradoxical, given their undeniable technical and musical qualities, Afterbirth manage to achieve greatness without necessarily being brilliant. Which leads me to think that their best work may be yet to come.
Three years after their last four-dimensional journey, veteran sonic explorers Afterbirth are back with yet another venture into the realms of colorful, unconfined brutal death metal. A chameleonic formula that has been gradually expanding over its intermittent 30-year journey, continually bringing new tones and textures to a sound palette that has always refused to follow established rules.
In But Not Of not only embodies this nonconformity and bold creative spirit, thus being a vehicle of continuity, it is also a testimony of consistency and perseverance; ingredients that make it a worthwhile experience for any interdimensional adventurers seeking for more polychromatic and atmospheric extreme metal.
