Beyond Creation made quite a splash with their debut, The Aura. Technical death metal of the highest proficiency, what it lacked in melody it made up for in dizzying musical prowess. Given the state of the technical death playing fields, many bands can show their mastery, but few can write coherent “songs” with flow and intrigue that last beyond a few listens. With Earthborn Evolution, you can add Beyond Creation to that small list.
The cornerstone to Earthborn Evolution’s success is that of melody. While standing firmly in the tech death spectrum (as if the killer Giger-esque artwork doesn’t give it away), this is an collection of songs that you will still remember far after you’ve reached the end. This is evidenced by the strength of the band at expanding songs past the 5-minute mark without sounding stretched or boring (much like Obscura). Closing with the two longest tracks, it does end on a high note, with “Theatrical Delirium” aptly named for the dramatic explosion of progressive, technical fury as well as a sense of adventure, and “Fundamental Process” giving some melodic soloing between more blistering moments. Some of the riffs have a cool, almost otherworldly feel (particularly the churning title track) that will take you on a journey and the band acknowledges that you don’t have to play at blistering speeds all the time to make a statement. However, there are a few quick scorchers (“The Great Revelation” and “L’Exorde”) if you really want to blow your mind. A true standout feature is that of Dominic Lapointe’s basswork, often appearing to even provide some contrast from the rest of the material without sounding forced or disjointed.
2014 has been quite the year for technical death metal, and Earthborn Evolution can stand toe-to-toe with the best of them. Delicately balancing the line between technicality and songwriting, there is a fusion of the two here that really hits all the right marks. If you missed The Aura for some reason, don’t make the same mistake twice.