Artwork by: Paolo Girardi

Style: Progressive Metal, Death Metal (Harsh Vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Death, Gojira, Atheist, Vektor
Country: Chile
Release date: 13 February 2026

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They say never to judge a book by the cover, and while that’s largely sound advice, one cannot overlook the power of first impressions and the potential impact incurred upon a first-time customer. When I first saw the album artwork for Chilean prog-deathers Overtoun’s third LP, Death Drive Anthropology, my eye was immediately drawn to the inconsistent kerning lurking within the album’s title font. Granted, the cover isn’t the most eye-catching to begin with (though I love the color usage and it is nicely rendered), but even if that weren’t the case, I wouldn’t be able to unsee the atrocity being committed in the lower-right corner.

This may seem like a particularly harsh nitpick to open a review with but even in the audial arts, presentation is extremely important for securing new fans. Luckily, most of what Overtoun offers on Death Drive Anthology follows in the spirit of the artwork’s otherwise decent composition, largely delivering on a platter of solidly built, well-executed, and forward-moving prog death that lends credence to the wisdom that the cover is never the full story. Let’s crack open this tome and discuss, shall we?

Fans of acts like Horrendous and the mighty Death will find plenty to enjoy in Overtoun’s structurally fluid yet tight songwriting that ensures experimentation never gets the better of a song’s design. Take “The Waves Suite: Ocean”, which rolls along on thrash-death riffage before breaking against a spiraling prog-death passage of clockwork guitars and frenetic kitwork and later a Gojira-coded bridge that, despite all these shifts, remembers to drop anchor back into those thrash depths to ensure a cohesive identity throughout. Whereas some progressive death bands can get lost in the introspective sauce, letting atmospheric suites and navel-gazing guitar carry the bulk of an album’s interest, Overtoun focus on delivering high-energy assaults. Drummer Agustin Lobo and guitarist Matias Bahamondes are the forefront of the page-turning brigade, each delivering hyperactive, dizzying performances (“What Unites All”, “Memento Mori”), and grooving head-bobbers (“The Final Beat”, “Death Drive Anthropology”) alike. Even the plucked acoustics and big drums of “Memento Mori”—perhaps the “slowest” cut on the album—bleed into propulsive death charges and more Gojira-esque guitars that refuse to let you pick up the bookmark.

Elsewhere, tracks like “Jade, Gold, Obsidian” sound like Death resurrected, with a jazzy flair and crisp tone carved out around vivid basslines delivered by Matias Salas. Salas is a treat across the record, his bass mixed nicely against the rest of his cohorts, veining the album with a heft that, even when buried under the album’s busier moments, feels omnipresent. And when Salas rises up from the cacophony to be heard in full, he delivers a current of warm, buoyant tones and seething lines that should be a reminder of just how cool the bass can be when given over not only to a talented player, but a righteous spot in the mix, too. Death Drive Anthropology is a great-sounding record, every instrument coming through clear, Yoav Ruiz-Feingold’s vocals placed complementarily within his bandmates’ musical bedrock to give the album a supercharged sense of cooperation. The societies of man may be built upon hierarchies, but Death Drive Anthropology, thankfully, is not.

Pacing, however, is something of an issue on Death Drive Anthropology. At fifty minutes, the album starts to sag in the middle with tracks like “Dur Khrod” and “Yurei”, which, despite being individually enjoyable, feel somewhat invisible in the presence of “Memento Mori”, “Jade, Gold, Obsidian”, and “Weeping”. Connected to the pacing problem is the awkwardness of certain transitions. While much of Death Drive Anthropology flows beautifully, like molten gold poured into the cracks of a shattered vase, other areas stumble: the shift into the guitar solo on “Jade, Gold, Obsidian”; the extended snare-beating passage on “Yurei” that starts shaky and comes close to overstaying its welcome; or an abrupt gang-vocal assault (“Wind and Water”). However, Overtoun’s nimble songwriting ensures even these moments of weakness are afforded no more status than a nitpicky mention.

So. Covers. Judgment. First impressions. Finding the reality within. Overtoun stand as another prime example of how surface-level considerations can often be far off the mark of what lies beneath. Like the eye-marring typesetting hiding in the corner, Death Drive Anthropology is not without the need for some tinkering—but to fixate on so singular (and small) an issue would be to overlook an otherwise strong and entertaining entry for the sake of snobbery. Judging the beauty of the forest for one unseemly tree, as it were. So do yourself a favor: zoom out, look past the imperfections, and let Overtoun turn your pages for a spell.

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Recommended tracks: The Final Beat; The Waves Suite: Ocean; Jade, Gold, Obsidian; Death Drive Anthropology
You may also like: Horrendous, Glassbone, Sun of the Suns
Final verdict: 7/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

Label: Time To Kill Records

Overtoun is:
– Agustin Lobo (drums)
– Matias Bahamondes (guitars)
– Yoav Ruiz-Feingold (vocals)
– Matias Salas (bass)
With guests:
– Max Phelps (guitar solo on “What Unites Us All”)
– Enrico H. Di Lorenzo (vocals on “Memento Mori”)
– Shantanu Vyas (additional vocals on “Wind and Water”)
– Juan de Dios Schoennenbeck (acoustic guitars on “Memento Mori” and “The Waves Suite: Caleuche”)
– Sebastián Durandeau (acoustic guitars on “Memento Mori” and “The Waves Suite: Caleuche”)
– Ana Carolina Rifo (chinchinera on “The Waves Suite: Siren”)