Review Summary: With their full effort, The Bridal Procession manages to deliver their heightened potential and produce one of the greatest albums of 2013. Descent into Arcologies is a magnificent listening experience.
First and foremost, Death Metal hasn't been very interesting for many people, as they always say it's just an outrageous noise coming from the depths of hell. Intriguing enough, deathcore and death metal is designed to scare your typical neighborhood: With piercing shrieks and growls coated with aggressiveness, gory lyrics that always maintain its brutal structure, and complicated riffs and time signature to boast it to your friend what this type of music genre can offer. While The Bridal Procession may not be the band that could be a template for the most unique, elaborative and complex music that anyone could hear, they sure produce high form of death metal or 'whatever-your-ears-want-it-to-be' music.
From a decent standpoint, The Bridal Procession is death metal outfit hailing from France. When their first remarkable effort
Astronomical Dimensions came out in 2010, it's obviously convincing that they're serious about making music, they are ready to join the platoon of grade-A bands. Incorporating Egyptian style of sound and regenerative synths to layer tracks may not be the most creative thing ever but one thing is for sure, it provides style.
Astronomical Dimensions is a daring experience.
After a long hiatus, The Bridal Procession resurfaced this 2013, bringing in shocking news: They formerly broke up. But hey, who knew that this sad news could turn into a great one? They also streamed online their latest material, under Siege of Amida Records,
Descent into Arcologies. That's right: A full new album that is offered for The Bridal Procession's most hungry fans. TBP delivered a fierce and competitive symphonic deathcore/ progressive death metal album that utilize blistering riffs, blazing guitar solos, and symphonic keys to effectively initiate a devastating record. With their first track "A Paradoxical Utopia," The Bridal Procession unleashes their full potential, from the vicious growls and shrieks that Steve Garner utilizes, riff barrage and creative drum work that is presented at full dramatic scale. It is really an outstanding start for the album.
Perhaps the most impressive part of the record is its lyrics. Sequential attempts of delivering the story track by track is uniquely executed, while maintaining the lyrics context by relying on crispy effects(haunting narratives, radio dispatch voice, eerie sound, heavenly symphonies, etc) to be injected to the listener's ear and witness the whole scenario without the help of visuals. It is a rare encounter for an album, as it provides distaste due to its corny concept or otherwise intelligently-crafted, magnum ride experience for the listener that provides tragic feeling due to its intriguing nature. As much as the album goes, few artists have been featured here. Aaron Matts(Betraying The Martyrs) delivered his distinctive growls perfectly along with Garner's extreme gutturals efficiently that it strengthened perhaps the most deathcore-esque track off the record, "Divine Enlightenment." A standout moment like this makes
Descent into Arcologies self-proclaimed foundation truly fortified.
"A Solar Symbiosis” is another highlight of the album, as it features a full 8-minute instrumental track that showcases the band member's skills. It serves as a room for fresh air lyrically, as the track essentially screams the presence of calmness and confidence throughout the journey in Arcologies. The band actually explores song writing and it is vaguely expressed throughout the album. The lyrics from “Birthing of the Sick” is a good example to this. Effective lines such as:
“The men, drugged and flogged, For every sign of laxity, Named and shamed” and
“The women, hands and feet tied up, To archaic machineries , Lined up like cattle, Forced legs open in a catatonic state for days, Violated, abused and soiled .Methodically exiled from males" proves that their death metal/deathcore roots and influences are not off the grid and available to be witnessed. “Trapped in Hell” is one of the weaker tracks here, dictating generic riffs and supplies melodies that maybe a hit or a miss. The last track, "Coalescing Destinies" provides the most catchy guitar work on the record and Garner's cleans to suspend the overall variety of the song. And with a nice touch of progressive death metal, it is the most fitting style to render the album closer properly.
As The Bridal Procession waves goodbye, they manage to give the fans a reason to miss them, and appreciating the genre even more.
Descent into Arcologies is more of an exciting experience to sustain each and everyone's delight the first time, or otherwise a guaranteed self-fulfillment after listening to it few more times. It is an unforgettable experience. Maybe by creating
Descent into Arcologies, they reminded us that they are always here. Maybe they're not gone after all.
