Style: Progressive death metal, technical death metal (harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Rivers of Nihil, Black Crown Initiate, Alluvial
Country: United Kingdom
Release date: 1 May 2026

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Expectation can be a ruthless killer. After staking my claim to United Kingdom’s Cognizance’s new release, In Light, No Shape, I was met with the promise of a masterful progressive death metal opus in the promo materials. Say no more. The band’s fourth full LP follows a line-up change as original vocalist Henry Pryce has been replaced by guitarist Alex Baillie, who has retained guitar duties. After surpassing the Subway’s underground definition of 20,000 monthly Spotify listeners, they are primed to soar into the metal overground as the bearers of the progressive death metal torch, right?

Well….not exactly. In Light, No Shape is a homogenous slab of uninteresting and unmemorable downtuned riffs. With ten songs all under four and a half minutes that each follow a similar structure, the tracks blur into each other, causing the album to crawl by. While progressive music isn’t simply defined by expansive song lengths, there is an inherent complexity and experimentation that must be present. Successful progressive death metal creates a dynamic emotional contrast between brutal instrumentation and vocals with subtle elements of beauty. In Light, No Shape, however, does not provide a dynamic listening experience whatsoever, as Cognizance suture together repetitive riffs with minimal variation in intensity.

Guitarists Baillie and Apostolis Karydison rely on riff harmonization too much in an attempt to infuse intrigue into their songwriting. The uninteresting and drab chugging across “Transient Fixations”, “Inflection Chants”, and “A Game of Proliferation”, however, are not disguised by this approach. While the riffs are often disengaging, Cognizance also struggle to successfully conclude the songs of In Light, No Shape. The endings of “Inflection Chants” and “Subterranean Incantation” meander along with a tedious crawl—shifting my boredom into downright annoyance—while album closer “The Zone”, ends abruptly, in an unsatisfying conclusion. Frustratingly, when Cognizance hit their stride, like the satisfying punchy groove that opens “Vertical Illusion”, they illogically, abruptly snap back to uncompelling chugs, erasing the brief momentum that was building.

That’s not to say Cognizance completely fail to deliver. The tedium of In Light, No Shape is broken up by “The Chasm”, a more compelling track that mixes interesting technical riffs, ethereal atmosphere, and (actually interesting!) guitar harmonization. Reminiscent of the winding bends of Decapitated’s winding “Day 69”, “Reconfiguration” begins with eerie, twisting guitars that establish an ominous vibe. The guitar solos, though scattered sparingly across the album, are consistently captivating. Often brief, they strike like a flash of lightning and are gone without becoming weighed down by unnecessary self-indulgence. David Diepold’s drumming is a consistent stampede of blastbeats, groove-laden fills, and double bass kicks performed with the right touch of restrained chaos. Baillie’s growl is effective and consistent, though it doesn’t offer much variety. Alongside the redundant riffs, his monotonous gruff vocals add to the bland uniformity that characterize In Light, No Shape.

Ultimately, In Light, No Shape is sorely lacking from dynamic contrasts. The incorporation of acoustic passages, significant tempo changes, or melodic guitar harmonies on top of the downtuned riffs would have nicely broken up Cognizance’s monotonous performance. Boredom is not a word I associate at all with progressive death metal, but perfectly describes my experience with In Light, No Shape. May I take this as a lesson, trust no one…especially not a promise from promotional materials.

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Recommended tracks: Inflection Chants, Chasm, Vertical Illusion
You may also like: Xenobiotic, Soreption, Omnivortex, Defaced, Phasma
Final verdict: 5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

Label: Willowtip Records

Cognizance is:
– Alex Baillie (vocals, guitars)
– Apostolis Karydis (guitars)
– Chris Binns (bass)
– David Diepold (drums)