Alkaloid is formed by royal members from technical death metal and progressive death metal genres. This death metal super group featuring current and former members of Necrophagist, Spawn of Possession ,Obscura, Aborted, Dark Fortress, God Dethroned, Blotted Science,Thulcandra and Noneuclid. After extraordinaire performance with aforementioned bands on this year Germany based progressive death metal band Alkaloid bring their debut full length album entitled “The Malkuth Grimoire”. Their latest studio effort is consist with 12 tracks with One hour thirteen minute running time. In before when they started hitting web their tracks destroyed and mesmerized with the brutality and technicality than expectation. Death metal does not stagnate in a constant form. Some challengers exist, such as Inverted, a brilliant addition to the progressive/technical death metal roster. well,now going straight to the point about this new album.
This new albums whole composition,production is extreme and unlike anything I have heard before.I was super amped for this album.Indeed this album is one of my long awaited anticipated album of this year.Here I want to notify another one thing past year I was also excited like this when I have heard Hannes Grossmann releasing his solo album “The Radical Covenant”.I was reviewed that album also and “The Radical Covenant” was my top listed from past year.I’m reviewing New Alkaloid album and to be honest this is more challenging for me haha. At first listen “The Malkuth Grimoire” enthralled me with their technical and progressive amalgamation with intricate,tricky riffs, hyped pedal thrusts. I was lookin for this type of unique death metal release. This whole album impressed me with their Unrelenting ,powerful,blasting ,overarching,chromatic, critical acclaimed death metal sound with a tons of progressive and technical aspects and this new album rekindle my affection,obsession for progressive/technical death metal. This bands each and every musician exudes tremendous effort in radiant way on this album with excellent diligence and nailed it. They have injected technical,complicated riffs works, dark and dirge vibes into aural bashing,fast death metal with strangulated riffs work simultaneously. I applaud this album and embrace them.
Their heavy,ultra-fast sounds and often slow musical styles all combined in one bold, enlightened display of unbound creativity. Despite the often fast ,furious,cacophonous, heavy form of death metal assaults laced with a lots of segments of mid-paced,fast tempo too where Alkaloid combines intricate,tricky riffs work, dirge vibes with cavernous drum thrashes,aforementioned all aspects enriched this album that is very powerful,strong and excellent all at the same time along with a good balance of death metal music, progressive and technical death metal with strangulated ,filthy,thick,groovy riffs work and those effective rasps even some clean voice simultaneously. This album contains with a strong dose of creative progressive,technical death metal, with a trace of a modern taste, melody that is simply overwhelming.
well, their latest opus starts with beautiful,breathtaking interludes with sharp,crushing riffs work,melodic solos and a wall of spectacular drums laced with some ambient and clean vocals . Especially I’ll say in this albums every single riff is constructed with the care and precision of an artistic mastermind. From this new album we get very unique,epic kind of progressive death metal flavor. This album is filled with a slew of twisted , traversed ,chugging, groovy,intricate, innovative ,complex riffs line ups with technical orientation . As well bass line up is shifting, chaotic, strumming,rumbled and muffled . Hannes Grossmann's drumming lineup is continued with his signature style .Drumming,percussion line up is pummeling,dodgy, incessant,frantic,blast beating and rabidly insane . There are a slew of individual Jaw dropping ,subtle nuance,dazzling, astonishingly capable riffs solo with some melodic, harmonised leads and drumming sections which sound briefly something exotic . In each and every track intricate,spectacular riffs,bass lineups matched in fantastic way with technical prowess and progression. Each note rings with such clarity that they feel like individual entities .This album indulge strong songwriting, succinct tune and brilliant musicianship . Every instrument is clearly differentiated & represented excellently in each and every single track .Tempo changes are excellent and complicated . All songs have an amazing guitar riffing progression that blends excellently with the vocals. Vocals thick, formidable, hoarse growls and even some clean voice emerged nicely and intertwined in a good manner with their grandiose , schizophrenic, crushingly heavy, technical death metal,progressive musical style soundscapes laced with laced with melodic accompaniment and embedded perfectly . I really worship this band and their their distinct style is appreciable.
Their latest studio efforts each song have an energy and fluency. Stand out tracks are all of em .This album consist with only one instrumental track “C – Value Enigma”.On this track bass work is remarkable. Album artwork is mystique,gorgeous. overall " The Malkuth Grimoire " whole album is undeniable,precise,Spectacular,engrossing ,significant, elegant, gleefully technically proficient with brilliant production.This album subvert your expectation with inventive guitar work and fusion shred solos. Alkaloid’s approach to death metal is a little unorthodox. This extreme progressive death metal album is one of the best release of this year so far.From now I’ll Keep my eyes and ears peeled for news from the Alkaloid band camp in the near future.From now I'll wait for their sophomore release. Alkaloid provide another unblemished addition to this collection with this complete masterpiece, and thus can be accredited with the contribution to this intriguing and thriving album with extreme metal music where death metal is main ingredient.
My Rating – 4.7/5 ~ Review done by Souvik Basu.
