Strap yourself in and get ready for the ride of your life on Biomechanical's latest release Cannibalised. If you thought that the first two releases from this UK band, Eight Moons and Empire of the Worlds, were heavy hitters, you haven't heard anything yet. Singer & keyboard player John K, the main guy here, once again has assembled the troops and put together one hell of an extreme metal platter, sort of like the bastard child of Strapping Young Lad, Dream Theater, Megadeth, and Pantera. Rounding out the group on the CD are guitarists Jamie Hunt & Chris Webb, bassist Jon Collins, and drums were completed by Matt C & John K. Word has it that most of the line-up has since changed, as John has recently recruited Jonno Lodge (drums), Gus Drax & Chris Van Hayden (guitars), and Adrian Lambert (bass) to take this beast to the stage and beyond. Hopefully the new blood can help recreate this scorching release.
It's not every band that can pull of such chaotic yet extremely intelligent progressive metal, as almost each track here is rich in sweeping, film score symphonics, brutal & technical guitar riffery, over the top growls, screams, and shouts, plus complex drum & bass grooves. Every step of the way, it's unrelenting, yet the band never takes the same path twice, keeping the audience on their toes through such stampeding metal numbers as "Fallen In Fear", "Slow the Poison", "Breathing Silence", and the commanding title track. Then again, you have the opposite end of the spectrum, the symphonic yet gothic "Consumed", complete with waves of spooky keyboards and pounding rhythms, with John K's spoken word vocals & growls effortlessly floating underneath the bombast. For all out extreme metal, look no further than the maniacal "Reborn In Damnation", a song so crazed and demented it could have easily come from SYL's Alien album, with John K doing his best Devin Townsend impersonation. Expect plenty of shred guitar solos and killer drum work to go along with the vocal hysteria and orchestral keyboards on these tracks, making each piece epic, heavy, and dramatic.
Chances are you'll want to follow along with the sci-fi tinged lyrics while you are listening to all this maniacal & complex insanity, especially if you own the band's first two releases, as this one completes the trilogy. Try and make sure you get the version with the four bonus tracks, which are all orchestral versions of various tracks from the three releases. It's pretty neat to hear some of these songs with only huge sounding keyboard orchestrations filling in the arrangements, and the results are quite chilling.
Bottom line is, Cannibalised is a must hear for all progressive metal fans, especially those who like things a little bit towards the extreme side of life.
Track Listing
01. Fallen In Fear
02. The Unseen
03. Cannibalised
04. Breathing Silence
05. Predatory
06. Slow The Poison
07. Consumed
08. Reborn In Damnation
09. Through Hatred Arise
10. Violent Descent
11. Beyond the Descent (Fallen in Fear/Regenerated)-bonus track
12. Reborn Into Darkness (Through Hatred Arise)-bonus track
13. Imprerium (Absolution Part 1 & III)-bonus track
14. Through the Remains (Consumed)-bonus track
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