In a year where technical death metal has become something of a game of one-upmanship,
Deviant Process managed to, fortunately, release an album directly before those two pillar
releases (Gloire Eternelle, Bleed The Future), that decides not to play at all.
Nurture is an esoteric yet melodic offering of technical metal, offering the same rubix cube
quality that its genre conventions demand, yet infusing it with a a surprisingly fluid sense
of front flowing rhythm and grace that makes it a lot more listenable than perhaps it should
be.
And that matters. Because where the criticisms at the core of this genre stem from ear
fatigue via overload ad infinium, Deviant Process's stunning use of melody, groove and
overwhelming songwriting prowess seem to make this a non-issue altogether. While 2016's
'Paroxysm' was one of the most underrated efforts of the year, this one seems more so based
on circumstance alone. It doesn't have the absolute kitchen sink arsenal that First Fragment
does, and it doesn't have the warp drive capabilities that Archspire does, but, more
importantly than either, it has APPROACHABILITY, and in a sub-sect of metal that seems to
grow smaller every year, that'll be the part that matters the most, long-term.
4 Bumps | Bump |
