Featuring ten songs, Atræ Bilis might be lesser known among the brutal acts in death metal, but when they announced the release of their newest album I was somehow curious to hear what the band had been up to. The opening track ‘Protoxenesis’ sets the tone for the album and presents the technical straightforward artillery of the drums that Luka Govednik handles. His flawless, destructive double bass and the punchy brutal riffs of guitarist David Stepanavicius along with the thudding bass guitar of Miles Morrison make nice combos as a starter.

However, it’s obvious from the inception that Atræ Bilis has opted for a bludgeoning variety: in the next track ‘Hell Simulation’ which kicks in with straight brutality you may as well assume that you have heard this kind of style before, but when low growls of Jordan Berglund come in the band fire on all cylinders.

The caustic slab of technical death metal doesn’t only focus on the sheer volume of the drums, yet is executed flawlessly. Apart from the relentless blast beats the guitars mix with elements of technicality, dissonance and progressive death metal in which the bass guitar and drums are the deadliest elements of Atræ Bilis.

Things begin to change with the third track ‘Salted in Stygia’ which combines some clean vocals and chorus. Unfolding brutality and modern avant-garde style you’ll soon realize that the band has evolved from their debut album ‘Apexapien’.

The approach to modern death metal isn’t as typical or as traditional as many other bands. The second album showcases a knack for tackling brutality in its straightforward form: the churning effect of the bass guitar on ‘Inward to Abraxas’ offers intricate elements that has reformed the songwriting. Hence, the aesthetics of the band makes the album unique and memorable. Staggeringly brutal and avant-garde Atræ Bilis has amassed a set of powerful grooves, brutal breakdowns and superb brutality.

The drums become unhinged on tracks like ‘To Snuff the Spirit Guides’. The drums play a big role in shaping the songs and the same can be said about these riffs, which are catchy and add a layer to the song when the music shifts to the avant-garde style.

The album’s production is great, every instrument is audible in the mix and the technical skills are emphasized by the complex riffing. ‘Aumicide’, for example, includes many hooks that allow the listener to experience the dissonance of the guitars and the melodic layers that make great use of the dynamics and the guitar patterns like the arpeggios are damned catchy.

The drums trigger a brutal display of fast tempos in the song ‘A Kingdom of Cortisol’ which then offers something entirely unexpected. The brutal breakdown here is significant and it is bolstered by chunky riffage with the bass guitar adding a layer to the wall of sound resulting in total mayhem.

While songs like ‘Monolith Aflame’ push for more atmospherics in the music, all the elements fall in the right place to employ the slow pacing of the guitars and melding them into the background. ‘Aumicide’ takes a different tone from the debut album and generally features fresh aesthetics and song arrangements. The unrelenting brutality embodies a new musical identity for the band they are well emphasized in several songs like ‘The Hologram’s Cervix’. The band has made drastic changes in its songwriting and managed to implement different styles and techniques.

‘Excruciate Incarnate’ delivers a walloping strike of swaggering precision with the brutal counterpoint of the drums meeting stomping technicality including power chord riffs, blast beats and double bass. Yet it has some slow atmospheric tempos that contain hooks making it one of the memorable tracks.

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