The parameters of progressive, technical death metal have been pushed to the limits since the evolution of acts like Gorguts and Nile into artists such as Beyond Creation or Obscura. Refinement of ideas into digestible songs that balance instrumental prowess next to circular aural passages that latch seamlessly has an artistic integrity unto itself. Swiss four-piece Adelon aim to throw their abilities into the hat when looking for more forward-thinking tracks in this style – arriving on the scene in 2022 to issue a couple of singles before this latest EP Resurgence hits the marketplace. In four tightly woven compositions, listeners can hear a vibrancy to the aggression, the intricacy tastefully delivered next to some wild, calmer twists to keep each song distinctive while dynamically engaging through subsequent, deeper playbacks.
Stunted, staccato-driven riffs for instance that penetrate the final musical passages for “Crimson Luminescence” can change in the next song with this branch-off sequence of progressive mid-tempo runs with growls / cyber-enhanced voicing to make “Cycles” a whirlwind finale – Quentin Landolt masterful in his clean/distortion chord placement next to the transitional, tempo shifts. The use of calmer keyboard/piano parts on opener “Fleshless Vertebrae” soon gives chase to a stunted adventurous montage of textures that followers into Decapitated, Gojira, and Obscura will appreciate – vocalist Pierrick Tromme executing a multitude of screams, potent low register growls, as well as a robotic voice to convey the treasure trove of majestic convergence at your command. For quality musicians of this magnitude, it’s never easy to know when to lay back a bit and let the parts breathe or next attack in full force as the arrangement deserves – but that’s what occurs consistently from these gentlemen. Even the drum programming does not diminish the versatility on display – and just when you think the music is going a touch too technical, the next sequence reels you back in with this monstrous groove-like pummeling that is hard to resist.
Eighteen-minutes later, Resurgence restores faith that progressive, technical death metal is continually evolving in the right direction as long as acts like Adelon enter the fold. May the underground summon more to the flock, hopefully necessitating the next release be a full-length outing as the listeners need to absorb, reflect, and process more tracks as they play this ad nauseam.