Spawn of Possession - Incurso (2012)

Hitting the proverbial nail on the head, Spawn of Possession return with their third full-length feeling renewed and refreshed. Since the first two records, the band’s lineup has shifted significantly, but for the better--Incurso is the most addictive culling of spiraling riffing and chaotic song writing since Gorod stepped up to the metal plate with Process of a New Decline in 2009. Similar to their peer, Spawn of Possession take seemingly unapproachable technicality and transform it into something accessible by even the fussiest of metalheads. Technical death metal has only recently been in great commodity, and with the spur in popularity came a flood of subpar groups lacking writing finesse. Nonetheless, the band has their merits; particularly ease of access, and Incurso remains one of the better releases for the subgenre thanks to memorable and proficient compositions.

In fact, Incurso serves as a catalyst for the band to channel their inner creativity. Fusion-like bass playing forms the core underpinning of Spawn of Possession’s sound, and guitars loyally follow unruly drumming in rising and falling alternate picking fashioned with brain-twisting precision. Vocals are typical death metal fare, albeit layered numerous times. High-pitched shrieks loom over growls like Godzilla’s shadow over Tokyo--both mutually applicable to each other--but when separated become a different beast all together. The band occasionally slows down to observe the finer things in life, like spacious clean guitar tones and ominous organ-lead passages, but the bulk of Incurso refuses to let up and stays planted in a frenzied blender.

Even as Spawn of Possession prefer to keep their songs shrill and acute, they still dip into conventional metal territory, similar to how a “normal” death metal band might tackle an arrangement of music. “Deus Avertat” rips along at breakneck speed on the guitar’s lower strings, transitioning in and out between elevated tremolo picking and bottom end rumbling. “Servitude of Souls” persists in the same vein, but slows down the onslaught to a casual case of headbanging that serves as a subtle respite. The last two, including the limited edition’s bonus track, begin with wonderfully grim dosages of classically influenced keyboards that set the mood and provide a nice variation from usual Spawn of Possession material. The rest of the album’s track listing carries an archetypical technical death metal sound, but retains the band’s distinctive attitude toward the music. Highlights and personal favorites include  “Where Angels Go Demons Flow,” “Bodiless Sleeper,” “Deus Avertat,” and “Apparition.”

With Incurso, Spawn of Possession has expertly crafted a technical death metal masterpiece, primarily attributed to unforgettable song writing and raw instrumental talent. While not everyone will be able to delve into the band’s music, the record should prove to be an excellent starting point for those looking to explore the subgenre and as a reach into an enticing 10 tracks of metal. Already the band has been placed onto several developing best of 2012 lists—the praise is undoubtedly deserved because listeners will continue to see great things from this group.

-TMA