megatherion

Hidden History of the Human Race opens the gate into a world of labyrinthine riffs, shifting rhythms, and atmosphere that feels cosmic and, at times, suffocating. What I love about Blood Incantation is their ability to take a style built on brute force and and instead giving it depth, breadth, and scale.

Unexpected textures shift and morph like constellations as the raw and aggressive become technical and then evolve into some subterranean churning eeriness. I love the ability Blood ... read more

The Sword never lost their edge for me. This record hits just as hard on my umpteenth listen. Riffs and grooves aplenty. The band leans into their sci-fi worldbuilding without overcomplicating the formula. Every track is part of a larger saga, but every riff stands on it's own. This doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it knows exactly what and where it wants to be. Fun as hell.

A solid statement of intent. When it's grooving, it is tight, locked in, and ready to rock. Consistency is where they win me over. The satisfaction of getting pummeled over and over with this tone and texture really delivers.

Crawling forth from the liminal space between forceful and fragile, this entire album sounds like it could collapse into violence or ascend to pure atmosphere at any moment. That's what lingers most here. Songs that dissolve the boundaries between intimacy and performance.

This feels like an art installation. One that is transcending categories or nostalgia to deliver an assertion of permanence. This will continue to sit with me.