Rating: 8.2

Country: Spain

Genre: Technical Death Metal

Record Label: Fastbeast Entertainment

Release Date: 2006

Track list:
1. Manipulated Nerves Impulses
2. Humtec Sphere
3. Ansphina
4. The New Adoreds
5. Filter of Life
6. ...moments of creation...
7. New Coming are Slave
8. Source of Energy
9. Post Earthquake Age

Total Playing Time: 36:40

Band Website: Baalphegor

Baalphegor - Post Earthquake Age

David Fernandez - guitar
Marc Plana - guitar
Xesc Cla - bass
Alfred Berengena - drums
Miguel Herrera - vocals

Post Earthquake Age makes for enjoyable reviewing because the number of influences within are simply enormous. This is not to say that Baalphegor weave patchwork quilt songs. Far from it, they are an extremely focused act that have taken the most visceral aspects of quality material and reworked/blended them (almost) seamlessly together. My first impressions were that this album is the bastard child of Hate Eternal and Yattering, with the imperious power of the former (sounding most like I, Monarch) and the schizophrenic jerky disharmony of the latter. An unusual combination but that is just scratching the surface.

Engineered by guitarist David Fernandez, the production is crushing and colourful with broad dynamic depth. There are a couple of mellow Gordian Knot/Cynic passages that are quite dream-like in their execution but with creepy undertones that suggest something grotesque is waiting around the corner (and indeed it is). At full pelt, the Frank Mullen roars, hailstorming cross-rhythmic Marcin Golebiewski percussion and hot-blooded string section are quite intoxicating. All the solos (bass included) have rich tone and expression with an ethereal edge to make the melodies more otherworldly.

Counter-intuitively, they seem more comfortable and tighter the faster they go, as if the intensity of the music itself spurs the limbs, digits and vocal chords to new levels of destruction. It is sadly obvious that mid-paced territory is a little more generic in its output, with straight-laced Vader or Domination-era Morbid Angel being revisited or even thrashing metalcore grooves (e.g. "Source of Energy"), albeit very fluidly. "The New Adoreds" is an excessively long and repetitive slowburner, but it must be noted that the madly impulsive kit-thumping under the dragged chords is inspirational, turning the drudgery into mayhem. The first track has a slick Immolation-meets-Monstrosity verse and some awkward Decapitated riffery later but it is still a conservative start. "Humtec Spheres" showcases the first use of Anata and Cryptopsy inspired atonal-but-musical licks but things really start combusting nicely during the classy "Ansphina". This ticks all the Bru-tech boxes and the high octane Nile-meets-Hate Eternal verses take mid-riff convolution and vector changes to dizzying highs. "Filter of Life" milks the build-up of intensity and harmonisation upon repeats for similar excitement.

The odd one out here is "New Coming are Slave", a Meshuggah book-ended, djent-ridden contemporary groove-fest with drawling chord bends and the pitter-patter of what seems to be cowbells, no less. A dextrous Anata riff tears up the song structure mid-way to precede an excellent Eastern interlude broken up with sludge chords and trills in almost freeform locations (think Melechesh meets Morbid Angel). A weirdly constructed song that somehow works.

At first glance there is nothing life-changing about Baalphegor but this is a very addictive album that employs subtle but intelligent tricks of the trade to give themselves their own identity. The end product is something that has a heart as well as a head. The only question remains: what have they been doing the past three years? I eagerly await their audio-based response.

May 15, 2009