Style: Melodic Death Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Progressive Metal, Thrash Metal (Mixed Vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Fleshgod Apocalypse, Voivod, The Black Dahlia Murder
Country: USA (Oregon)
Release date: 17 April 2026

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Sometimes I just don’t know what to listen to. I’m sure you’ve had the same problem before. You put something on, maybe some Voivod, but just aren’t feeling it after a track or two. So you switch to, oh I don’t know, Fleshgod Apocalypse: same issue. Finally, you figure you’ll just go with something tried and true, perhaps The Black Dahlia Murder, but nothing is quite scratching the itch. Well, what if I told you that you didn’t have to decide which of these three very specific bands to listen to? That’s right! Because on their debut album Scarabaeus, Lividus fuse the styles of all these groups and more into a uniquely refreshing cocktail, complete with an operatic vocal garnish.

Hey, I saw that! You just rolled your eyes at me. You’re saying: ‘By jove! How on earth would the styles of the three distinctly unique bands listed above be fused in any sort of cohesive manner? And adding operatic vocals atop the fusion? Preposterous!’ To that I say: ‘Has anyone ever told you how annoying your vernacular is? I suppose if you insist though, I’ll try explaining it to you. God, you’re needy.’ 

Truth be told, pinning down the exact points of reference on Scarabaeus is harder than it seems. Lividus are fast and technical, each member locking into tight performances across the board. Rob Shaffer’s riffs mainly consist of trem picked arpeggiated string skipping, syncopated prog metal grooves, galloping chugs, and off-kilter thrash metal lines that would feel right at home on a Voivod record. On the percussion end, Pierce Williams drum performance is closer to that of a tech death or tech thrash band most of the time, with blasts and fills aplenty, and double bass which reaches blisteringly intense speeds (“Sulphur”, “The Empty Circle”). Most immediately noticeable, though, is Uta Plotkin’s unique vocal approach, which oscillates relatively evenly between vicious mid range growls and soaring operatic clean singing. Every member’s performance is full of impressive technicality, but an equal amount of value is placed on melody and song structure; the heart of Scarabaeus’ sound lies in such deliberate interplay.

Shaffer understands Lividus’ unique strengths, composing riffs that are rooted in melodic death metal not entirely unlike The Black Dahlia Murder—engaging on their own, yet tailor-made to synergize with the rest of the group’s performances. His playing is angular and melody driven, utilizing arpeggiated runs that are flashy and fun, but which also act as bridges that allow riffs to reach different octaves, providing tonal variety and ensuring that each guitar line is placed exactly where it belongs within the unit’s performance. Syncopated chugs and grooves are outlined by heavily emphasized accents, reinforcing rhythmic variety and—more uniquely—adding an illusion of dynamics that is rarely achieved in such a maximalist style. Each aspect of Shaffer’s guitar performance is synergistic, elevating every other aspect of his and his bandmates’ sound through a variety of texture, tonality, and technique.

Plotkin stands to gain the most from Lividus’ synergistic interplay, her operatic vocal performance the glaring standout of the group’s sound and, by extension, the most controversial as well. Patient vocal melodies soar over and anchor busy instrumentation, reminiscent of Fleshgod Apocalypse; rhythmic black metal snarls amplify the ferocity of heavier sections; operatic ‘ooohs’ and ‘aaahs’ stab harmonic and textural depth into particularly moody sections (“Sealing the Wound”, “Make No Mark”). Some may find Plotkin’s unbridled idiosyncrasy jarring at first, but Lividus smartly structure their compositions and performances to not put undue focus on the already bold vocalizations. Yes, Plotkin is Scarabaeus’ unique sonic centerpiece, but that title is earned, not a result of being forced into the spotlight. Each instrumental performance is dense and interesting, never opening up to make unwarranted space for the extravagant vocals. Instead, each propels the other forward, the texture of Plotkin’s vibrato even blending into the tremolo picking and blast beats, fully integrating into the extreme metal aesthetic in a uniquely satisfying manner.

So, does the overly specific combination of stylistic influences from before make a bit more sense now? What? You already skipped ahead to the score and are wondering why it’s not even higher given the glowing review thus far? God, you’re needy and impatient. Well, at least you’re good fodder for lazy transitions, I suppose. 

Look, I just wish there were more of this album. Everything is fast and dense and intricate and interesting… and there’s not a single song over four minutes in length. At a total runtime of thirty-three minutes, Scarabaeus is over in a flash. A fun, engaging flash, but one that ultimately leaves me feeling somewhat unsatisfied. Lividus could easily flesh out a lot of their ideas, experimenting with longer song lengths or more varied pacing and structuring, and they wouldn’t even necessarily need to give up any of the intensity to do so. Hell, it wouldn’t even matter if the intensity was turned down a bit in the service of longer compositions, as long as the strong melodic focus remained. There are plenty of moments that I wish were explored further: the Spawn of Possession-esque string-accented arpeggio riff two thirds of the way through “Sulphur” for example, or even the yearning atmosphere of interlude track “They Blew the Files from Their Lips Before They Spoke”. As it stands, each song is a vicious exercise in density and brevity—but over an entire album, such an approach ironically leads to a sense of homogeneity.  

At the end of the day, it’s telling when my main gripe with the current iteration of Lividus boils down to ‘I want more of it’. Still, Scarabaeus flies by without giving the listener much of a chance to get well and fully immersed in each song’s unique atmosphere, resulting in slight frustration on my end. Maybe that’s why I was so mean to you earlier. Sorry I called you needy.

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Recommended tracks: Jettatori, Amphisbaena, Sulphur
You may also like: Scimitar, Scardust, Hammers of Misfortune
Final verdict: 7.5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

Label: Nameless Grave Records

Lividus is:
– Uta Plotkin (vocals)
– Connie Wang (bass, backup vocals)
– Rob Shaffer (guitar)
– Pierce Williams (drums)
With guests:
– Quinton Gardner (guest vocals on track 6)