It’s always a tricky thing to stand out in any given style no matter how niche it is or even how much it may have blown up in recent times. When it comes to all things related to technical death metal, the sheer explosion of popularity and prowess within that scene has made for something wildly dynamic and engaging for us as listeners to lose ourselves, but it’s not hard to see how new names can become lost in the commotion. For well over a decade now, Orphalis has witnessed the current emergence of technical death metal as we know it with their own brand of technicality and unrelenting brutality a treat that devout veterans could always find solace in. Their reputation has only been growing as has their catalog of eviscerating magnificence with their fourth opus taking it all to a new level.

Evolution is only natural when it comes to a band’s sound as time goes on. We all know plenty of acts that have started off in one style to eventually end up in completely different sonic territory that none of us could have seen coming from miles away. With Orphalis, the change isn’t dramatic in the slightest but it is noticeable. Embracing more of their technical side while still making sure to incorporate more than a few aspects from their brutal death metal roots, “As the Ashes Settle” proves to be a wild experience from top to bottom. Not so much as a shred of mercy is to be found throughout the whole of these eleven tracks even when Orphalis does deign to pull back only to continue the madness but moments later, it all feels like too much can be happening at one time. I wouldn’t blame anyone for thinking that Orphalis has bitten off more than they can chew in the crafting of “As the Ashes Settle” given how much there is going on in any given minute of the album, but I would implore any of you to endure it and allow the storm to take you for its entirety. It is therein that Orphalis begins to unveil the secrets to their fiery craft that takes the form of bewildering riffs, unyielding musicianship, unbound brutality, and technical prowess that is definitely of mind-boggling. Constantly ferocious and never once going for anything less than to rip the spirit and render the flesh of those before them, Orphalis doesn’t leave so much as a smoking husk in their wake. The patient and invested are well-rewarded by the end of “As the Ashes Settle” with the record constantly showing us the many different sides of this band that have come together in such vicious harmony that it demands to be respected and will kill otherwise. Be it Orphalis’s capacity to bring it all together, the sheer tenacity of the album itself, or the unfettered rage that is to be found around every corner, “As the Ashes Settle” is not something to be taken lightly.

This is a record that truly takes to heart the concept of “no stone left unturned” as the bloodlust of Orphalis is not to be underestimated with those able to endure these homicidal assaults being lucky enough to bear witness to the greatness that is contained in this bombastic record. For years, Orphalis has been a real treat to those familiar with the underground with their power on getting more potent as the years have piled up, and in no effort of theirs is that more obvious than with “As the Ash Settles”. Utterly voracious to the very core, this next-level creation is not something to be missed by anyone who dares considers themselves a purveyor of all things brutal, technical, and quality.

“As the Ashes Settle” releases on August 25th via Transcending Obscurity Records!

LISTEN to advanced tracks from “As the Ashes Settle” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Orphalis on Facebook here.