Earthborn Evolution

Earthborn Evolution is an absolute behemoth of an album. Despite clocking in just over the 45-minute mark, it feels like an hour-long experience. However, that’s not to say it gets boring. It’s a perfect storm of sonic elements, creating new grooves and rhythms every time you start to get distracted. The Canadian masterminds behind Beyond Creation do a phenomenal job of balancing guitars, bass, and drums to give each instrument its time and space to properly shine.

I think a unique aspect that makes this album particularly awesome is the tone. The cleans are open and clear, transitioning flawlessly to some truly face-melting riffs which benefit from good balance between highs, mids, and lows.

The fretless bass is another highlight, creating mesmerizing runs and rhythms. At some points I think it outshines the equally groovy guitar riffs. Beyond Creation never feels the need to revel in fast playing, but always plays at a tempo that makes those faster bits all the more exciting. One example of a unique riff that only this band could have written is the intro to the title track. Making use of bizarre tunings, the guitar gives us a syncopated, almost tribal riff which is only built upon by the other instruments. Listening on headphones, many of the songs utilize a clever but not overdone use of panning to really accentuate leads and polyrhythms.

The vocals in this album are never the highlight, but they are delivered competently. They are mixed fairly low throughout but accentuate the verse sections. There are some nice high growls that I particularly appreciate. Chances are if you’ve listened to a lot of death metal, you’re used to powerful growls, but the vocals in most of the songs feel a little weak due to the mix. Since I’m focused on the grooves, this doesn’t bother me too much.

In conclusion, this album is worth your time. In terms of talent, this album is a shining example for other technical death metal bands, and the sheer amount of groove that the band packs into each song means it’s enjoyable, too.

Favorite Tracks: Earthborn Evolution, Abstrait Dialog

Canada’s “Beyond Creation” is probably your go to band for very technical and aggressive music… if you’ve heard of them. For me this wasn’t the case up until a few months ago. Since the guys have just released their third full length album titled ‘Algorithm’ I have decided, for no reason what so ever that the one I should check out is their previous album “Earthborn Evolution”. But I now know that I will check them both.

This album is not only very technical and dynamic but it is also very complex music, so it is more than your usual death metal album. It sounds both heavy and progressive, and kind of feels like it’s trying to make a stew out of your nervous system. But up to some extent that was to be expected. Their sound is based on highly technical and difficult guitar riffs, drums and an insatiable lust for tapping, sweeping and fretless bass. The bass requires a special mention because it is probably the most noticeably weird (in a good way) element of the whole instrumental spectrum. The drums rely on progressive groovy patterns but also turn to your straightforward double pedals and oh so sweet blast beats every once in a while. And it’s all topped by the soloing, probably the best asset to this release. Both guitarists are very good and they complement each other all the time, with leads scattered all over the place. So the next shred could be just around the corner at any point in the album. The title track gives you a very balanced tapestry of eloquent soloing from both guitars and even a juicy bass solo, and it is probably the best song on the record.

The only problem with the instrumental part is that it often turns to sports. It is so difficult and impressive but ends up feeling stiff and inexpressive once you’re done being angry. They balance it out with some jazzy and avant-garde influences but it doesn’t really cut it. Another setback is that the first two songs on the record are some of the lesser ones, so it can be off-putting if you’re not really into technical music. It also deprives the album of a proper introduction which I feel is an important aspect to a release. This one just skips any discretion and bites straight into the cheese from the first notes. Vocals aren’t outstanding either, and I’m pretty sure it’s the French accent that causes it. It ends up sounding muddy, blurry and lacking in punch. But to be honest, if you’re going to make it through 45 minutes of this ‘geronimo’ styled death metal, you’re probably not in it for the screams. So point noted but not that relevant.

What I think I really should point out is that the last two songs on the album are truly remarkable. Of course there’s the title track that tops them both a bit, but it doesn’t surprise you in the same way and you also expect it to be one of the better songs. ‘Theatrical Delirium’ is the ultimate nerd-fest, bringing the most mind-bending song structure and extreme surprises and solos on the record, and the album closer ‘Fundamental Process’ is a varied riff-tastic piece of music with an easier approach on the listener, putting a strong accent on the heavy side. So if you’re interested in this album you probably should start at the end. It also makes sense because this really isn’t the kind of album that needs to be listened to in an orderly and logical manner. It seems just thrown in there so it doesn’t make a big difference how you approach it. Not the most cohesive album in the world either. But to end on a more positive note, “Beyond Creation” occupy a high ranking for creating complex music or even just a proper death metal record. If you’re into technical, progressive or just aggressive music, you probably shouldn’t miss it. Now I have to go listen to ‘Algorithm’ as well.

Enjoy!

As soon as I heard the first notes of the album, I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed. We instantly hear the amazing sound of the fretless bass, played by virtuoso Dominic “Forest” Lapointe. Fast and precise drumming, heavy and powerful riffs and slashing solos (guitars AND bass) are present all the way throughout the album.

One of my favorite things about this band and especially on this album is without a doubt the bass. I have never heard any other band with a bass sounding like Beyond Creation and I think this is what is making this band so unique. Lapointe redefined the bass in technical death metal and some songs like “Theatrical Delirium” or “Sous la lueur de l’empereur” show us what an amazing instrument the fretless bass is. I think that in this genre of metal, all instruments should be given an equal importance and this is something I found is missing in some other technical death metal albums. Beyond Creation is really using everything in their possession to create a masterpiece where we can hear the full potential of all the instruments (vocals included).

Another thing I absolutely love when I listen to this album is the roller coaster of emotion it creates. A song like “Earthborn Evolution” or “Neurotical Transmission” will both bring you a different but somewhat good feeling. We can experience the amazing energy and emotion in the composition of Beyond Creation’s most recent album. This album will make you feel everything a metal album should make you feel (anger, sadness, serenity, etc.). The lyrics also play a big part in the emotion that you will feel. Beyond Creation lyrics have something very interesting about them: You need to sit down and really listen and read the lyrics to fully understand them and, what you will understand will differ from one person to another. The last song of the album is a really good example. The interpretation you make of “Fundamental Process” is really something personal and it can touch you in many different ways depending on what you understand of the lyrics and what is your state of mind at the moment.

Last but not least, two songs in the album (“Sous la lueur de l’empereur” and “L’exorde”) are in French and this is very important, I think, for a band from Quebec, Canada, to promote French language in their music because of the omnipresence of English in the music industry. It’s important for a French Canadian band not to lose its culture to the industry, and Beyond Creation managed to do that perfectly with their album.

In conclusion, I would highly recommend “Earthborn Evolution” to anyone who loves technical death metal but also to anyone who likes hearing something different instrumentally speaking and interpreting lyrics their own way. Beyond Creation is one of the bands out there who really develops their sound with some unique aspect like the fretless bass and the French lyrics to only mention a few of the amazing aspects this band can offer through “Earthborn Evolution”.

Consider me one of those vociferous twats who felt it necessary to tell the world that my impotence towards technical death metal had been partly alleviated by Beyond Creation’s “The Aura.” I referred to Beyond Creation as The Ultimate in my review of “The Aura” because I thought the band’s resemblance to Doomsday, a Superman villain nicknamed The Ultimate, was uncanny. “The Aura” sounded like the peak of technical death metal in a variety of ways. Beyond Creation proved to be musically complex yet creatively enriched, doing what Necrophagist et al. do, but on echelons the horde can only look up to from the gutter. Upon arrival, Beyond Creation beat the best at their own game.

My biggest fear coming into “Earthborn Evolution” (and I did, trust me) was that “The Aura” had just been a fluke. It seems that way when stacking up the debut to “Earthborn Evolution,” which feels a bit rusty at times and wants nothing to do with cleaning up its room, much unlike Beyond Creation’s dependable, high-achieving firstborn. While much remains the same, the songs just aren’t as fulfilling. Perhaps this is due to seeing Beyond Creation perform the same trick, albeit an abstract one, that we saw back in 2011, when the whole act was a new and revitalizing approach along a strip of monkeys sweep picking over gravity beats and incoherent bass noodling. Upon further analysis of the specimen, it seems The Ultimate has more in common with its inferior counterparts than first thought.

The element of technical showmanship sounds more like a spectacle of incredible talents than a conduit to achieve remarkable tracks that have a complex backbone. It’s hard not to be impressed by the convoluted rhythms and off-kilter drum patterns that somehow all interlock to make cohesive anthems, but I feel the complex parts are often overdone. There are few slices of “Earthborn Evolution” that are directly memorable or catchy—bits like the prog-laden break on “Coexistence” or the straightforward sections of “The Deported” are dearly missed. It seems Beyond Creation is solely banking on the pure awe of their outlandish chemistries and abilities to drive the album, and by doing so, they drop down a peg or two.

I don’t find it coincidental that the title track, whose procedural elements are noticeably scaled back, is not just the best tune here, but perhaps the finest song in the Beyond Creation catalog. Its soft prog-laden guitar work serves to balance the harsher themes of the band’s algebraic assault, and I really can’t think of another staple that sums up the creative and instrumental aptitudes of the Beyond Creation collective. Songs like “Elusive Reverence” and “The Great Revelation” show the complete spectrum on which this group can operate when the songwriting comes first; they stand proudly on the tier of “The Aura,” unbothered by the climate. As expected, it’s a worthwhile endeavor to see the masterful creative avenues they venture upon.

A lot of this charm dissipates from “Abstrait Dialog” and “The Axiom,” tracks lost somewhere in the constant storm of mathematical riffs and perplexing rhythms. “Theatrical Delirium” and “Fundamental Process” make up for the lacking moments by the end of it, but the weaker parts around “Earthborn Evolution” remain in sight. As usual, Dominic "Forest" Lapointe shows off an entire BDSM dungeon of bass porn, work which colors up the dreary bits considerably. I’m going to give “Earthborn Evolution” a solid rating, because it actually isn’t too bad; there are signs of deterioration here, however. It’s flashier than “The Aura,” bigger than “The Aura,” more bombastic than “The Aura,” but not on the same level as “The Aura.” Better than most? Yep. The undisputed crown of technical death metal? Far from it.

This review was written for: www.Thrashpit.com