‘The Transcendental Signified’ is the second full-length outing from Manchester-based melodic death metallers Not Above Evil who have been active on the scene since 2009 and have clearly spent much of the time between their formation and now honing their skills to perfection for this particular razor-sharp slice of blistering extreme metal. Actually released back in November, the album is available via ITunes and Amazon etc. if you want a digital copy, or from the band direct if you prefer to get a CD version. The album also features the prodigiously talented Daniel Mucs (Wolfcrusher guitarist) on drums and it was also Daniel who handled engineering, mixing and mastering duties, a job he has done remarkably well, imbuing the record with power and precision so that each instrument maintains its full crushing potential.
Musically ‘the transcendental signified’ holds plenty of surprises in store with plenty of interesting touches introduced into the tracks to keep the listener guessing throughout. Opener ‘crossroads’ sets the scene beautifully with melodic lines giving way to a barrage of double kick drums, guttural vocals and heavily distorted guitars before the song phases into an almost progressive section with harmonised solos and a slowed-down tempo – it’s almost In Flames meets Iron maiden, brilliantly conceived and tightly executed. ‘Legion’ is a full on metal stomper – churning riffs and guttural brutality, everything pumped full of sweat and adrenalin until the vicious conclusion collapses in on itself and we move on to ‘Capture the dawn’ – a track announced not by a delicate hint of the sunrise but by an immense cyclical riff that recalls the mighty math metal progressions of Meshugguah before a soaring lead pierces the mayhem for a chorus that is pure death metal grind.
Moving on the band waste no time on ‘against the tides’, a full-tilt, high-octane blast that gives guitarists Damien and David chances to spar against each other over the bristling lead runs whilst bassist/vocalist Sideeq Mohammed unleashes his abraded, rasping voice to powerful effect over the torrent of noise. Things calm down a touch for the gentle intro of ‘Nexus’, with the cymbals gently accentuating the intro before the band come in on a mid-tempo number that stands apart from the full on attack of the first few numbers. It’s a wise move as it helps to mix things up a bit opening up new horizons for the band and showcasing a more sensitive side to their music. The album highlight arrives next in the blistering, belligerent form of ‘Death and transformation’ which mixes up elements of Mastadon-esque prog metal and a full on death assault to unleash a neck-breaking assault of unrivalled fury – if you want to check out one song by the band, make sure it is this one. ‘As the curtain falls’ engages in a full on neck-breaking attack, Sideeq once again demonstrating his unassailable grasp of death metal vocal styles whilst the guitars chug and strain behind him. Final track, and it arrives all too soon, is ‘the duel’ which proves to be a stunning coda to the album hinting at a deep-seated love for classic rock thanks to a beautiful picked introduction that showcases the band’s exceptional skills before one last raging blast is unleashed with a fire and fury that feels vigorous even following the furious energy of the previous seven tracks. Â
If you like intelligent, complex melodic death metal then Not Above Evil have it all – scything riffs, soaring solos, sand-blasted vocals and a tight rhythm section, not to mention powerful, memorable songs that stay with you long after the album has faded down into silence. A brilliant slab of muscular metal, Not Above Evil are a band to treasure.
Find out more at the band’s official site: http://www.notaboveevil.co.uk/
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