Spawn and other tech

[ExMachina]

It's been a decade since incurso and no one on in tech really comes close to spawn IMO. Tech death is still my favorite metal genre though. Just wanted to start a thread to worship spawn and talk tech death because I'm bored, that is all.

 

[Tree]

Obviously very different tech death stylistically, but I’d say First Fragment offer the same level of bat-shit fuckery as SoP. Learning a song by either or, and playing along has been the only thing that actually tires me out as of the last few years.

 

[works0fheart]

While I'd say First Fragmet early on, their new stuff is more techy power metal i think. I was super hyped for their recent release and lost interest pretty quickly. Archspire, and Inferi the stuff that isnt their singles fit the bill pretty well for me, especially The Path of Apotheosis. It sounds pretty similar to Incurso in some ways. In terms of what comes close to Noctambulant and Cabinet though, I'm afraid there isn't anything similar, at least that I've found. I would absolutely love to be proven wrong, but both of those albums broke ground that hasn't since been touched imo.

 

[Dwellingers]

Abhorrent's debut is pretty decent?

 

[Winspear]

Absolutely agree. I haven't found one other tech band that begins to convey atmosphere like they did. Everyone else I check out has me very focused on the music, which is cool, but for me, SoP somehow managed to avoid that and instead deliver imagery and mood which just happened to be extremely hard to play. I ended up moving toward dissodeath and related black, avantgarde etc. to chase the vibe they gave me and don't really listen to much tech anymore.

 

[ExMachina]

Absolutely agree. I haven't found one other tech band that begins to convey atmosphere like they did. Everyone else I check out has me very focused on the music, which is cool, but for me, SoP somehow managed to avoid that and instead deliver imagery and mood which just happened to be extremely hard to play. I ended up moving toward dissodeath and related black, avantgarde etc. to chase the vibe they gave me and don't really listen to much tech anymore.

Sums up my feelings as well. I find bands like ad nauseam give me more spawn vibes than other tech.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

idk man I think Inferi and Archspire are carrying the SOP torch pretty well. Allegaeon's earlier stuff is also pretty laced with super tech riffage, though they've toned it down considerably over the last two albums.

 

[ExMachina]

idk man I think Inferi and Archspire are carrying the SOP torch pretty well. Allegaeon's earlier stuff is also pretty laced with super tech riffage, though they've toned it down considerably over the last two albums.

Definitely fans of both of them, probably my favorites of the current tech bands.

 

[Tree]

Man, I want to love Inferi so much more than I’m capable of. On paper, they’re a near perfect band for me, in reality outside of The Path of Apotheosis they bore the shit out of me. The EP before this last album was really promising, and then Vile Genesis came out. It’s cool music, but nothing is memorable. I can’t remember a single riff, let alone any of the leads. Same thing with Allegaeon.

Serocs is kinda in the same vein as SoP, to get back on topic. Really frantic, fast, tech-y riffs aplenty. Just without the subtle classical influence.

 

[marke]

I've pretty much "found" tech-death this year and it has become my favorite genre. Been searching for this kind of music for a long time: melodies, complex enough to survive multiple listens, heavy, riffs, fun etc. As I can't stand progmetal due to the theatrical power metal vocals, tech death fits the bill so much better.

SoP is great, but I've only heard Incurso. The main riff in Bodiless Sleeper is the best riff ever made. Period. Also, as Archspire was mentioned, I listened to Bleed the Future again few days ago after a long break, and it is indeed superb, but I think they could do without the triggered bass drum bursts. Just sounds out of place.

I'm not sure if this fills any Spawn of Possession void, but The Zenith Passage's Solipsist is a wonderful listen. Hope they make another album.

EDIT: Someone mentioned Ad Nauseam. Well, I count them as tech death. Sue me And btw, Imperative.. was easy AOTY 2021. I don't think anything stronger have come out this year either tbh.

 

[ExMachina]

I've pretty much found tech-death this year and it has become my favorite genre. Been searching for this kind of music for a long time: melodies, complex enough to survive multiple listens, heavy, riffs, fun etc. As I can't stand progmetal due to the theatrical power metal vocals, tech death fits the bill so much better.

SoP is great, but I've only heard Incurso. The main riff in Bodiless Sleeper is the best riff ever made. Period. Also, as Archspire was mentioned, I listened to Bleed the Future again few days ago after a long break, and it is indeed superb, but I think they could do without the triggered bass drum bursts. Just sounds out of place.

I'm not sure if this fills any Spawn of Possession void, but The Zenith Passage's Solipsist is a wonderful listen. Hope they make another album.

I'm pretty TZP is recording now.

 

[Sammy J]

Tech death peaked between the years of Obscura/Onset of Putrefaction to Incurso/Colored Sands.

I honestly can’t think of a tech death record in that last 10 years that touches the true greatness of records like those, plus Epitaph, Noctambulant, Organic Hallucinosis, Diminished Between Worlds, Leading Vision, The Conductors Departure, Feeding the Abscess…

Bands like Inferi and Archspire just feel derivative of the above, with nothing new to add and without the memorable riffs and song writing. My view, but it’s how I feel.

I’d love to be excited about new tech records, but it feels like most new tech either goes down a blackened or dissonant path that doesn’t really do it for me either.

Ah well, there’s always the classics.

 

[ExMachina]

Archspire is probably my favorite of the current, at least they have their fast and catchy thing going. I just prefer that evil sounding shit that spawn was doing

 

[Big Dumb Bitch]

This is the best tech death album. It's not full of wank for the sake of wank and its all melodic and pretty and nice and the bass on this album is fucking killer

 

[works0fheart]

SoP is great, but I've only heard Incurso. The main riff in Bodiless Sleeper is the best riff ever made. Period.

Give Swarm of the Formless or Church of Deviance off of Cabinet a spin. That whole album is a riff fest, but those are 2 of my favorites.

Scorched off of Noctambulant is still the pinnacle tech death song to me to this day. The sheer speed and atmosphere on that song is in-fucking-sane. I don't think anything else really comes close other than Fermented Offal Discharge.

Tech death peaked between the years of Obscura/Onset of Putrefaction to Incurso/Colored Sands.

Colored Sands is such a masterpiece man. It's not overly technical but the atmosphere and songwriting in general is just so damned good.

This is the best tech death album. It's not full of wank for the sake of wank and its all melodic and pretty and nice and the bass on this album is fucking killer

This is a contender for sure, and definitely one of the most original sounding albums out there as well. I still listen to it pretty regularly and it holds up really well. It doesn't have a weak song on it either.

 

[gunch]

Tech death peaked between the years of Obscura/Onset of Putrefaction to Incurso/Colored Sands.

I honestly can’t think of a tech death record in that last 10 years that touches the true greatness of records like those, plus Epitaph, Noctambulant, Organic Hallucinosis, Diminished Between Worlds, Leading Vision, The Conductors Departure, Feeding the Abscess…

Bands like Inferi and Archspire just feel derivative of the above, with nothing new to add and without the memorable riffs and song writing. My view, but it’s how I feel.

I’d love to be excited about new tech records, but it feels like most new tech either goes down a blackened or dissonant path that doesn’t really do it for me either.

Ah well, there’s always the classics.

I don't want him to be right but he is. What do you think, Between Intransigence and Acolytes Eternal from A Loathing Requiem was 2016 the last really good year for tech death releases?

Also mmmm fuck Feeding the Abscess and just Martyr in general

 

[marke]

Tech death peaked between the years of Obscura/Onset of Putrefaction to Incurso/Colored Sands.

I used to feel kinda like that. The new stuff sounded too clinical for me, but now I actually dig it. More "scifi" and fun.

I listened to Noctambulant twice today, and I gotta say it somehow sounds more dm than tech - while being insanely technical. Reminded me of Nile more than anything coming out these days.

Not a bad album, but hard to digest. More spins ahead for sure.

 

[Sammy J]

Untouchable.

 

[ExMachina]

I used to feel kinda like that. The new stuff sounded too clinical for me, but now I actually dig it. More "scifi" and fun.

I listened to Noctambulant twice today, and I gotta say it somehow sounds more dm than tech - while being insanely technical. Reminded me of Nile more than anything coming out these days.

Not a bad album, but hard to digest. More spins ahead for sure.

Noctambulant might be my favorite of the three, incurso definitely has that more straightened out epic feel they were going for, cabinet is more brutal dm style.

 

[Sammy J]

I used to feel kinda like that. The new stuff sounded too clinical for me, but now I actually dig it. More "scifi" and fun.

I listened to Noctambulant twice today, and I gotta say it somehow sounds more dm than tech - while being insanely technical. Reminded me of Nile more than anything coming out these days.

Not a bad album, but hard to digest. More spins ahead for sure.

Noctambulant and Incurso are records that only truly reveal themselves over years of listening. The songwriting is so dense that it’s overwhelming at first for your brain to understand the patterns and what’s going on. It takes time to absorb and digest it all.

Challenging listens, but ultimately exceptionally rewarding. Both are incredible albums, Cabinet too but that’s a little more straight forward than the two that followed.