Location: Kansas City, Missouri (U.S.A.)
Members: Allen Gingerich (strings [and drum-programming?]) & Skyler Nohrenberg (vocals & lyrics)
Mix & mastering: Allen Gingerich
Artwork: no idea who created it, yet the cover painting is just stunning!!!
Type: digipack-CD
Duration: 32:32
Genre: Brutal Technical Death Metal
Introduction: Hypaethral is a relatively young outfit by musicians involved with e.g. Divine Dismemberment or Withermoth. They recently recorded (and self-released) their untitled debut full-length album, which consists of six ear drum attacks: Chelicera, Labyrinth Of The Mind, Infernal Ascension, The Culling Of Flesh, Cerebral Spores, and Starless Empyrean. Cerebral Spores and Labyrinth Of The Mind had been previously released via digital sources as teaser, or appetizer, for this duo’s upcoming debut.
Content: Hypaethral brings Death Metal of a very dynamic kind. Dynamic Death Metal, you think? Well, it’s an underestimation, for the energy that erupts right here gets way beyond any worldly definition of kinetic acceptance. This is a hyper-spawn level of immensity and intensity. The whole album flashes and blasts, with only seldom a non-explosive fragment, yet even the ‘slowest’ passages are up-tempo and vigorous.
Hypaethral brings Death Metal of a very technical kind. Technical Death Metal, you think? Well, what Allen creates, trespasses the plain definition of ‘technical skills’. The song-writing, at first, is simply ingenious. The string execution is based on a multi-layered basement of progressed techniques, which include fierce lead ‘melodies’ (yeah, whatever), ferocious rhythm guitars (with fine bass-lines) and mind-twisting soloing. The dual / dueling leads and high-tech tremolo tactics are of an alienated, supernatural nature. Mind the cool (semi-acoustic) intermezzo in a piece like Infernal Ascension…
Hypaethral brings Death Metal of a very rhythmic kind. Rhythmic Death Metal, you think? Well, this material surpasses the ‘average’ approach of rhythm and cadency. In organic interplay with the lead guitar parts, the supporting structures ‘behind the conducting front-office’ (cf. the leads and solos) act like a monolithic platform, such as a marvelous counterbalance is supposed to be. The drum patterns (I am nor sure at all whether the whole percussion-thing has been programmed or been performed live in the studio; the tone makes me think that it’s not a programmed section) are monstrous, smoothly fortifying the arrogant and intolerant majesty of the main structures. Double bass, snare drums, cymbals, and so on; every single piece of battery gets molested mercilessly, yet beautifully (in a masochistic sense, evidently).
Hypaethral brings Death Metal of a very brutal kind. Brutal Death Metal, you think? Well, ‘brutality’ is just a notification for politeness. In this album’s case, there’s no room for civil understanding. Take Skyler’s luscious chanting, for instance. Like an angel, he… Nope, forget the angelic resemblance, enter the demonic throat from the Underworld. Seriously, this guy’s vocal chords are raised with acid and sulfur, I guess. Skyler has a mostly crude grunt; a timbre of impurity and transgression. He spits venom and bacterial illness. Rather sporadically, yet of importance, are a few blackened / grinding outbursts too, and even a ‘clean’ voice appears.
Conclusion: every single track on this nameless album shows this duo’s remarkable and proficient skills. The lengthy final composition offers all ingredients as mentioned above, yet with even more Progressive features; but actually all of them express a professionally high-crafted performance-technology. Fans of Decrepit Birth, The Faceless, Decapitated, Psycroptic or Necrophagist must pay attention!
https://hypaethral.bandcamp.com/album/hypaethral
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jsop96aSfus