No Limited Spiral – Into the Marinesnow (WormHoleDeath)

Sunday, 16th July 2017
Rating: 8.5/10

Due to the appeal of international acts like In Flames, Arch Enemy, and Children of Bodom, melodic death metal has always found favor in the Far East. Shouldn’t be surprising that domestic talent blossoms out of this, as No Limited Spiral from Osaka, Japan find themselves entrenched in this style since their inception in 2009. Releasing a self-titled EP in 2012 and a few singles beyond their “Precode:Slaughter” full-length in 2014, “Into the Marinesnow” is the follow up, and first exposure to this scribe’s ears for the quintet.

What we have here are 10 tracks of classic melodic death metal with cyber/modern enhancements – comfortably channeling the tried and true with a bit of orchestral/symphonic flourish to give listeners an engaging top to bottom experience. Expect a fast attack as far as tempos and guitars, the instrumental sections often providing opportunity for controlled transitions, groovier moments, and proper twin guitar melodies that make the genre so special. The vocals within “The Witch of Dusk” and “Kalra the Everlasting Red” rear back and go for the rapid roar approach, invoking classic At the Gates or Children of Bodom. The keyboard/piano passages aren’t always setting atmosphere or orchestral/synchronized arpeggio exercises – “-Daffodil-” providing a 2:08 instrumental breather mid-way through the record, allowing the powerful follow-up “The Rusted Dream and My Sweet Nightmare” a chance to elevate consciousness, the semi-staccato meets spider web licks and tricks fist pumping work for sure.

Worry can set in when bands prefer to stick to faster tempos or vocal templates – in the case of No Limited Spiral, where they choose to sprinkle in the twin guitar melodies or slower, groove-oriented maneuvers make all the difference in the world for distinction. The thrash angles for “Nyx” and almost deathly blast beat aspects to “Cherished, Frozen and Faded” prove the band understand dynamics keep anticipation high, plus minimize losing listener interest. “Into the Marineshow” serves up plenty of fluid musicianship-oriented songs that will still get crowds bouncing – perfect for those who want a bridge between the mid 1990’s acts and the current crop in the genre.

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