Hey there tech-fiends, it's that time of the week again. There's a lot of killer releases on the horizon for 2017, and it's been an unexpected surprise to find new gems in 2017 already from several lesser known bands. So in the spirit of covering those lesser known highlights, we'll dive into the new self-titled Phobiatic album today. But before we do that, here's the usual reminder that all prior editions of this series can be perused here.
For those new to the band, Phobiatic is a German technical death metal band who have been active since 2008. I'll admit I was late to the party, having first heard them in early 2015 when I stumbled upon their prior 2014 full-length called Fragments of Flagrancy. That album was the band's second record, and it showed a lot of promise in spite of not sounding too original if I'm being honest when bluntly assessing it in a single sentence. Now the band is back with their third full-length that dropped last week, a self-titled hellish album that tops all prior efforts.
This time around on Phobiatic, the band seems to have accomplished a dual evolution, both as songwriters, and also in terms of the sheer number of ideas and styles melded together to create their music with. Overall the songs here are comprised of a dense blend of old school death metal sounds akin to Suffocation, early Hate Eternal, and a bit of Cannibal Corpse and Morbid Angel blended with more modern ideas clearly influenced by acts such as Origin, Cephalic Carnage, Beneath The Massacre, Dying Fetus, and a whole lot more. Ultimately, something like this could easily come across as directionless or uneven, but Phobiatic has clearly put in a lot of hard work to make all the opposing pieces of their sound coalesce together with ease.
While Phobiatic may not be reinventing the wheel with this latest self-titled experience, they're still delivering quality technical death metal the likes of which ends up having a unique feel all it's own. Considering the heavy upgrade in quality from the last album to this one, I fully expect the band to keep moving upwards from here on out. Keep an eye on these guys, I truly see their best work coming in the near future. Which isn't to say Phobiatic is weak, as this album crushes heads in easily and has a lot to offer. If you dig what you're hearing below, you can purchase the album through the Phobiatic Bandcamp page. Be sure to follow the band over on their Phobiatic Facebook page as well.
