Indie Recordings (2012)

“Pyrophoric” serves up eight tracks of the best new progressive death metal I’ve heard in a while. The emphasis is on crafting songs that draw you in and transport you to another world rather than smash your head in with their brutality. Some of the rhythmic parts give a nod in the direction of Meshuggah and the guitar lines have a cool spaced-out vibe, so there is plenty of chugging groove to get your attention before the riffs take hold and sweep you along with them.

Although “Pyrophoric” is only the second full-length from Greek act Mencea, one could be forgiven for mistaking it for the work of a much more experienced band. There is a maturity to the writing and the guys obviously know how to get the most out of a song in the studio. Add to that the professionalism of the production job and you are looking at a very polished package. It has that quality of being highly accessible without being too middle-of-the-road thanks to the accomplished song-writing and seamless atmosphere.

The only negative I can see is that there isn’t a great deal of variety to the songs. Because everything fits the sound of the album so closely, it comes across as a teeny bit too controlled. I wanted them to lift the veil now and then and reveal a few moments of madness or blast my face off with some more violent interludes.

Still, this is one I can see myself returning to again and again and a very easy disc to recommend.

www.myspace.com/mencea
www.indierecordings.net

Rating: 5 / 6

Composed by Peter Loftus