Hey there tech fiends, it's that time of the week again. Before we dive into today's focus, here's the usual reminder that if you're looking for more sick music, all prior editions of this series can be perused here.
Blame is a Ukrainian based group who I’ve previously covered in this column. While I was late to the party, I got around to covering the group’s 2014 EP, Dark Eyes, here in January of 2016. Looking back on what I said about the group when discussing Dark Eyes, much of it still holds true to the music on Almanac which dropped last week.
Almanac, like it’s predecessor, carries a cold and dark feeling in its bones, which is paired with a hefty audible bass presence that's atypical for this style, then further augmented by a bit of chug inflected groove element to some of the riffs and also the introduction of atmospheric-tinged moments that further spices up the experience. At its core, the music here is built upon a menacing machine-like precision driving the ruthless and brutal tinged style of tech-death Blame plays. But, seeing as Dark Eyes was their debut release, Almanac certainly feels like a more mature and unique set of songs overall. Collaborating with Nile and Contrarian drummer George Kollias on Almanac also adds a new dimension to the music not present in the prior effort. Say what you will about Nile (I’m a huge fan personally) but it’s undeniable that George is one of the greatest active death metal drummers with a style and feeling all his own that greatly enhances the music here.
Complex instrumental performances are of course the norm for tech-death, but Blame once again shows a nuanced and restrained approach to their craft that feels focused at all times on enhancing the quality of the songwriting over needless shredding for the mere sake of it. I was already a fan of the group prior to the recent release of Almanac, but it’s awesome to see Blame evolve instead of resting on their laurels and releasing the same thing twice like a lot of groups do once they settle into their own style. If you dig what you’re hearing, Almanac can be purchased through the Blame Bandcamp Page. Be sure to follow the band over on the Blame Facebook Page as well.
