Brooklyn, NY's Ambient Death are a relatively unknown little blip on the over-crowded metal radar. Their brand of progressive death metal is more akin to what groups like Cynic or Death did in the 90s than what most melodic or technical death metal acts are putting out these days. The production on the disc isn't exactly perfect, but the band's debut EP showcases their abilities well and is jam-packed full of immediately memorable riffs. While some of the band's more ambitious choices might be a bit questionable considering the sometimes lo-fi nature of the recording, there is no questioning the band's songwriting talent and understanding of genre dynamics. Fans of well-constructed, deliberate, medium-paced metal will no doubt find something to love here.
The disc begins with a relatively inconsequential atmospheric intro that segues into the true opener, "Manhunt." The lead-off riff is so simple it's almost unbelievable that I hadn't heard it before, but it leads wonderfully into a bouncy instrumental bit before the track's main segment, a grinding opus of varying speeds, begins. There are elements of The Haunted's ear for melody in metal alongside occasional flourishes of mild but rarely showy technicality. They never really push the "prog" side so far as Alarum or other similar modern progressive acts, but there's a lot of decidedly non-metal influence worked into tracks like the instrumental "Death Panorama" and throughout the rest of the disc. Miles of reverb create a unique sound for the record, although there are moments when it can be a bit too much.
One of the things that I have continually appreciated about this record on repeat listening is that the vocals, however one-dimensional they might be, are at least relatively unique for the style. Falling somewhere between classic thrash and black metal, the moderate growls of Lucas Klepacki showcase the band's suitably dark lyrics. They're definitely not the first metal band to sing about murder, the cruel hand of time or the Crusades, but it works here as well as ever.
The only real boundaries that exist here between the band and their potential fanbase both stem from the same basic problem. Despite the obvious quality of the music contained here, there are obvious limitations to the band's recording budget evident. A few moments of timing lost or minor issues with production values throughout the disc are the kinds of things that fans don't expect from a more polished release but can hopefully forgive here. Additionally, I don't believe the disc has proper distribution so tracking down a copy may prove difficult for those that don't do their music shopping online.
Bottom Line: Ambient Death are a remarkably talented band playing a brand of death metal that many have abandoned since the early 90s. Fans of the aforementioned acts as well as those looking for a fresh sound amidst a sea of trend-jumpers, death-core and faux grind acts need look no further. Time Eclipse is a stunning debut EP that showcases a band with immense potential and a knack for great riffage and songwriting. |
