Style: Progressive Death Metal, Technical Death Metal (Harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Obscura, Beyond Creation
Review by: Mathis
Country: Mexico
Release date: 01 December, 2022
When I was in school I struggled with creative and critical thinking. I chose to pursue graphic design not only because I found it fun but also because I wasn’t all that great at anything else. In my studies, I discovered creativity isn’t just a bonus perk that some people spawn in with but can be developed and trained using several critical thinking techniques. I loved seeking goofy alternative solutions to simple problems, but all the confidence I’d gained suddenly drained when I started designing. Every good idea that popped into my head had popped into someone else’s head long before. Nothing is new under the sun. It’s all been done before.
Ancient Architects is a sci-fi progressive death / tech death album that tells of extraterrestrials and their superiority over all other life forms. Nothing is new under the sun. The ancient ones harvest resources from inferior worlds without regard for the ecosystems that inhabit the pathetic rocks. The concept itself is fascinating, with a severe lack of evidence proving alien life, the human imagination can theorize nearly anything about aliens, and it’ll hold as much weight as any other theory. Unfortunately for Indepth, the all-powerful alien story is antiquated and far too commonplace in death metal these days. With limited run time on an album, it’s hard to elaborate on the finer details that could make an extraterrestrial story stand out among the rest. What’s more, Ancient Architects has a familiar sound that accompanies the notorious supreme being theme.
Rhythmic riffs saturate most tracks with assistance from intelligible drumming that isn’t too fast, slow, technical, or showy. Fretless bass slithers in and out of the foundation of each song, dutifully supporting the rest of the instruments yet stepping out of line regularly for a chance to warm its cold blood in the spotlight. Obscura first came to mind because of the cosmic subject matter, and Indepth unabashedly parallels Obscura in their musical preferences as well: “Universal Scar” could fit as a bonus track added on to a remastered release of Cosmogenesis. Despite all of their commonalities, one significant element of Ancient Architects is unlike Obscura. Steffen Kumemerer is consistent in his manic mid-range harsh vocals throughout Obscura’s discography, but vocalist Luigi Ponce has a much more dynamic voice. All through Ancient Architects, Ponce boasts his vocal range, with his primary weapon being a lower mid-range growl and his sidearm taking the form of a sharp high pitched knife. These vocals make Indepth sound akin to Beyond Creation, especially when complemented by the fretless bass. With the last few ingredients added to the mix, a dash of chuggy, almost djenty slow sections, and some ethereal synths, Indepth finalizes their recipe for Ancient Architects.
Indepth emulates some of the greatest progressive death acts beautifully but is that really enough? Not really, but there is a caveat to the idea that there is nothing new under the sun. It may be true that new original ideas are rare; however, I’ve learned that there are plenty of ways to manipulate an old idea and create something distinctive. Indepth achieve this manipulation masterfully, their personal flair sets them apart from the bands that they are influenced by. For example, the djenty chugs I mentioned earlier as one of Indepth‘s unique ingredients arrange an epic presentation in the titular track with two minutes worth of bludgeoning thall. Additionally, tracks like “Ethereal Desert” have celestial synth work as intros, interludes, outros, or woven into the background of the track. These songs are only a few examples of Indepth’s creative efforts, and I can assure you that each and every track on this album is exceptional despite obvious similarities with the big-name bands.
Is there really nothing new under the sun? Ehh… maybe for those who can’t dedicate themselves to reshaping old ideas into new forms, but Indepth put in the work. Though the topic of Ancients Architects is slightly stale, the album is brilliant in every other aspect.
Recommended tracks: The Arrival II – Outer World, Universal Scar, Ancient Architects
You may also like: Xenosis, Dissonance In Design, Deviant Process
Final verdict: 8/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page
Label: Concreto Records – Bandcamp | Website | Facebook
Indepth is:
– Luigi Ponce (Vocals and Guitar)
– Fer Castro (Guitar)
– Nando Tovar (Bass)
– Dan Wolf (Drums)
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