Kamikabe's full debut effort after some earlier EPs pretty well defines the fate of any number of metal bands in the 21st century -- well played, cleanly recorded, a labor of love as much as anything else, yet ultimately something following rather than leading. While the technical and death metal roots of the band are certainly clear from nearly the get-go in the chaotic overlay of nearly every song's arrangements, the clatteringly crisp and hollow-sounding flow of the "Leprous Divinity" shows that maybe something like St. Anger had an impact after all thanks to the drum sound, a skittering weirdness that may be more widely accepted than realized but still sounds a little strange. A further bit more of
Metallica almost surfaces as well on the short acoustic interlude, but otherwise someone like Chuck Schuldiner is more of an obvious patron saint throughout. "Magure" starts with a great, carefully arranged, but sounding completely unhinged burst, one of the album's stronger moments along with just almost memorable riffs to hum, while "Only the Dead Rest" is a great title for sure. "Sufferer" has a nice bubbling quick solo to recommend it as well, and "The Process Within" is where everything settles into more of a focused tech-death romp, with enough of a crunch to carry everything through the mix, engagingly if not in a fully inspired fashion. ~ Ned Raggett