Liste der Bands Technical Death Cyaegha Steps of Descent

Cyaegha is a band from the U.S, whom I've been patiently watching. And as someone who has become sick of the U.S recent metal exports-- namely The Black Dahlia Murder, Lamb of God, and Slip Knot-- I was very enthusiastic with announcement of Steps of Descent's release date.

Steps of Descent is a polished album from recording to production, but that doesn't mean this album is without it's flaws. The guitar work by Steven Redmond is quite accomplished, and works surprising well with Michael Tweed's rhythmically driven mid-range bass tone. These two individuals work well together by playing rhythms and solos that compliment each other respectively-- which can be seen throughout the album, but most notably on Fuck-Start My Dinner (my favorite song), Epiphany of R'lyeh, and Postmortem Enlightenment.

The drumming by Matt Wells in my opinion lays a sturdy foundation for the music-- especially with use of 4/4 time and ride symbol, not to mention the almost continuous blast beating and double-bass footwork-- providing a steady rhythm for the technically proficiently abilities of the guitar and bass to truly shine. The vocals of Daniel Cooley remind me of a mix between the vocalists of Decapitated and Goatwhore, which is not a bad comparison by any means, but I don't believe these vocal rhythms offer anything new to the death metal genre.

Lyrically, I believe the vocalist truly has out-done himself. Being someone who has spent hours reading along to my favorite bands, I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of thought and articulation which accompanied these Lovecraft inspired lyrics-- especially since I am an avid H.P. Lovecraft reader.

What impresses me the most is that, although Cyaegha takes inspiration from bands like Cephalic Carnage, Origin, and early Cryptopsy, they do not attempt to become a regurgitation of said bands. Because the artwork/layout was designed by John Coulthart, Steps of Descent is beautifully assembled CD from case to booklet-- the use of such glossy paper does seem peculiar to me though.

This album is a great debut effort from Cyaegha, but is not anything innovative. I will admit it is hard to gain recognition because bands like Spawn of Possession, Anata, and others have set the bar so high; regardless, I'm optimistic that this band has plenty to offer in the future-- especially because of the theme that they have chosen.

Obviously, it seems that the members of Cyaegha are quite skilled towards their respective crafts. Should this band complete a follow-up album, I'm sure that it will truly make a lasting impression.

7/10