Review Summary: A Cosmic Homecoming
We all knew that Artificial Brain’s third album was going to kick total extraterrestrial ass. Or is that too sweeping of a generalization to make? It’s certainly safe to say that Artificial Brain have, with
Labyrinth Constellation and
Infrared Horizon, proven that their chops are formidable and their vision is more than a gimmick. Despite the fact that sci-fi-themed death metal of the ‘90s psychedelic/technical variety is becoming an increasingly saturated niche as of late, Long Island’s resident transdimensional cyborg quintet has kept things fresh with their trademarks of (former) vocalist Will Smith’s pit-creature gurgles, blackened atmosphere, and melancholy, off-kilter dissonant melodies. The band’s technical expertise was merely the glue holding the operation together, and now, on their self-titled third record, Artificial Brain have taken the natural next step: perfecting their craft.
Each track is as winding and blistering in its intensity as ever, but there’s so many catchy
oh-*** caliber riffs and drum grooves and bass flourishes and inhuman vocal feats that stand out from song to song that there’s never a chance for monotony to set in even among the hail of blast beats and tremolo picking. The nebulous intro of “Enbalmed with Magma” quickly becomes one of the most layered and darkly melodic sections of the record, a whirling crescendo of drum acrobatics and Oleg Zalman’s signature upper-fret tremolo riffage. “Glitch Cannon” is another standout on the melodic front, casting sparkling arpeggiated guitar over rumbling bass like dying stars swirling into a singularity.
The album also comes with a few surprise guest vocals; Mike Browning of Nocturnus enjoys a verse on the rippling “Celestial Cyst” and the venerated Luc Lemay showcases his tortured howls on “Insects and Android Eyes.” Colin Marston even steps out of the studio and into the booth with his twelve-string Warr guitar during fourth track “A Lofty Grave.”
The most astounding thing is that none of the ten tracks on offer drag on or blend into each other like Artificial Brain’s previous albums (particularly
Constellation) occasionally do. Thanks to the band’s matured songwriting and their newfound attention to letting riffs breathe, each track is supremely well-contained and the album as a whole uses its time very wisely indeed.
There is a noticeable step down in production quality from
Infrared Horizon, which is unfortunate to say the very least. However, the album was supposedly largely recorded at home during quarantine, so getting something that still sounds this good is fine by me. All instruments are distinct, there’s plenty of dynamic range, nothing overtly wrong. It’s a good mix. Not worth splitting hairs over.
Artificial Brain’s self-titled checks every box and hammers well home the futility of existence within this grand contextless vacuum. It’s more dynamic, more progressive, and more memorable than either of its predecessors, but the overall message remains unchanged; eventually, with enough time and oxidation, everything returns to the void. Even chrome.
