Hello Metalheads!  This is John back with an upcoming release review today.  This one is called The Ever Crushing Weight of Stagnance by Misanthropy and comes out on December 13th, 2024.  This is their third full length album and are from Chicago, Illinois.  This release is with the record label Transcending Obscurity, who has a giant and reputable list of death metal bands on their roster.  Another member of our site just posted a great interview with guitarist and vocalist Kevin.  https://technicalmusicreview.com/2024/12/07/misanthropy-interview-2024/

The first thing that struck me as soon as I fired this behemoth up was the sound.  It comes all at once and is a little rough around the edges, but accurate at the same time.  They recorded this whole thing live which is truly impressive.  The album is not one of those way over produced, every single note in the perfect spot kind of an album.  Their slogan on their Facebook page is “Raw Tech Death”. They change directions on a whim with little to absolutely no sense of a transition.  The length of the songs is out of the ordinary too for a technical leaning band.  

This album is just so dense it takes many listens to truly absorb it all.  I have written quite a few times now about how I LOVE listening to dense music and this is another great addition to that list.  The first time I tried to give this a listen I was distracted as all hell, the second time I gave it my full attention and man the difference was incredible!  Both guitarists are playing riffs but have great counterpoint and harmony.  Their contributions are definitely heard in their own ways.  The bass is also very forward in the mix, is fretless and sounds great!  The drumming is solid and matches up very well to create excellent grooves even when they switch all over the place.

Of Sulking and The Wrathful is a song that I really enjoyed because of the jazz/blues section they have inserted.  They approach it with a straight up standard death metal riff, but slowly twist it into a jazz section.  The riff and drum beat change first, then rapidly change into an old school rock and roll beat.  This includes off beat high-hat hits and disco beat even.  This then continues into an instrumental section that eventually finds its way into a solo section and then back into the main groove of the track.

I’m not sure exactly where the influences for this band come from, but their blend of Thrash metal, death metal and even progressive elements is fantastic.  I only really got into these guys about a year ago and this really solidifies them even more in my mind.  The Ever-Crushing Weight Of Stagnance is a spectacular album in every way.  I would give this album an 8.5/10 without knowing that it was all recorded live.  With that knowledge in hand, I’d give this a 9/10!  The twists, turns, dense sound and incredible musicianship displayed here is just outrageous.  

Be sure to show these guys some support and follow them!  All of their links will be posted below.

https://misanthropydm.bandcamp.com/album/the-ever-crushing-weight-of-stagnance

https://www.facebook.com/share/15mErujTs9/?mibextid=wwXIfr