Review: Stortregn – Finitude

Style: technical death metal, melodic black metal, prog death metal (harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Dissection, Obscura, Beyond Creation, Inferi, Archspire
Review by: Andy
Country: Switzerland
Release date: 13 October 2023

Counterpoint is unequivocally one of the most significant musical advancements in human history along with ordering the overtones and equal temperament. A single melody bears the weight of narrative in music; several interacting melodic lines (counterpoint) tell an exponentially more complex story, and most importantly, the concept stimulates my wrinkly, prog-loving brain. Stortregn get counterpoint. 

The transition from standard Dissection worship to an unholy, stylistically distinct amalgamation of swaggering meloblack and ferocious technical death metal took Stortregn a decade; perfecting the style took three years. Impermanence was a shock to the system and a breath of fresh air for a tech-loaded 2021, an immaculately paced and performed album with a unique ear for melodic riffing. In these past two years, Geneva’s finest have honed their distinct style down to a science with the laser-focused precision of a Swiss watch; Finitude is both a technical and artistic masterpiece, deftly balancing form and function.

The performances on Finitude are unreal. Romain Negro’s harshes have clarity and diversity while Manuel Barrios’ bass weaves between the guitar parts with masterful ease. And, my God, the guitar parts: contrapuntal insanity. Johan Smith and Duran Bathija abandoned the typical lead/rhythm dichotomy to instead create a stunning Baroque soundscape, the two sounding as if they’re playing in an electric chamber ensemble more than a death metal band. Stylistically, they take the best of Inferi’s melodicism and flair for epic solos, the occasional harmonic unison of Virvum’s absurdity, and the impossibly intricate parts of Archspire while still mixing in a fair share of Dissection’s melodic sexiness (that’s the technical industry term). Finitude truly contains forty-three minutes of among the most stunning guitar parts ever put to tape. Finally, I’d be remiss not to mention Samuel Jakubec’s drumming, as well, since between this and Impermanence he’s rapidly becoming one of the best tech drummers ever. While his footwork has constant blasts as mechanically proficient as Dan Presland or Hanness Grossmann, his hands play with the delicacy of a jazz drummer’s touch. Most impressively, this collective talent functions as a cohesive unit; Stortregn interact as if they’re a single living creature. 

Perhaps the least intuitive but most fundamental aspect of Stortregn’s sound, the spatial awareness inherent to the production pushes Finitude to the next level. The production pays hyper-awareness to which channel each guitar part and drum beat is sent, creating a virile, dynamic interplay between all of these contrapuntal parts. Moreover, the multi-limbed approach of the drumming is fragmented across channels in such a way as to make Jakubec feel omnipresent yet never overpowering. This approach is sensationally dizzying, especially with Stortregn’s penchant for circular, tap-centric guitar riffs, but it pays off in the sheer volume of melodic complexity within Finitidue. Unfortunately, letting everything dominate the space does cause some significant brickwalling–and, therefore, fatigue with such a dense album–but that’s seriously my only substantial complaint on Finitude. 

I haven’t even mentioned a song up to now because I don’t know which one to highlight–they’re all deserving. Lead single “Xeno Chaos” dazzles with flamenco (which I wish they used more of in addition to this one and the haunting bit on “De Inferno Solis”) and a frantic, blinding solo. Or perhaps I should discuss “Cold Void” which dabbles in unexpected dissonance, or maybe the sheer heft of “Omega Axiom” gets you going. For me, the highlight is in the final few minutes of the entire album: “The Revelation” ends with a solo section in which those conversing guitar parts that meander across and through and [insert preposition here] each other finally come together in unison in an orgasmic shred-fest of epic proportions–think First Fragment or Virvum. 

Finitude raises the bar for how to be intricate and not be reduced to wankery. Never once in the shred did I ever think it was too much–Stortregn have proved twice in a row they understand pacing and performance beyond reason. If it weren’t for a gripe with the loudness of the production, I’d be slapping a 10/10 on an album for the first time at the Subway, but regardless I guarantee you that you won’t regret listening to this masterpiece.

Recommended tracks: Finitude, A Lost Battle Rages On, Xeno Chaos, Cold Void, Rise of the Insidious, Omega Axiom, De Inferno Solis, The Revelation
You may also like: Impureza, First Fragment, Virvum, Alustrium, Equipoise
Final verdict: 9.5/10

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Label: The Artisan Era – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website

Stortregn is:
– Romain Negro (guitars, vocals)
– Johan Smith (guitars)
– Samuel Jakubek (drums)
– Duran K. Bathija (bass, guitars)
– Manuel Barrios (bass)