For years now since their beginning, the name of Alkaloid has been on the lips of many throughout the underground. While it’s surely not the cup of tea that many would enjoy, their prowess and talent in all things progressive death metal cannot be understated. Every effort from them has been exemplary in what it means to deliver top tier death metal craziness the likes of which the scene is constantly clamoring for with the people behind Alkaloid a perfect storm for those of us looking for experiences of the sound that transcend much of what has come before it. With their third effort, Alkaloid quickly became one of the hottest names in 2023 when it came to material and, much like Tomb Mold, there was much speculation to be had. Much like Tomb Mold again, any doubt or worry concerning the quality of this third effort is met with nothing but eviscerating mastery of the craft.

Right away, Alkaloid puts themselves on a level way above the vast majority of the competition purely based on the credentials of everybody involved in the project. Each step that is taken throughout the eleven sprawling tracks of “Numen” stand as grand works of what it means to be uncompromisingly progressive in the world of death metal such that the material in question is always fascinating to behold and dangerous to underestimate lest its power overwhelm you simply because you weren’t prepared for it. And, really, there isn’t much one can do to truly prepare for what “Numen” offers. Even listening to Alkaloid’s first two albums on constant repeat would offer just a glimpse as to what the metamorphic seventy-minute runtime is always throwing at the listener. Almost schizophrenic in many areas as Alkaloid is always dancing around with what’s possible between the melodies, the technicalities, and the overall craziness that adorns each track in a thick layer of wild prowess that cannot be contained or put into a few select words. Alkaloid has always been an act that’s hard to pin down for many different reasons as they’ve set themselves apart in a corner of death metal that has only gotten crazier as the years have gone on, yet “Numen” seems to somehow raise the bar even higher.

“Numen” is a ferocious display in every regard as Alkaloid proves their mastery over the sound eleven times over to where I would be stunned not to see this record everywhere when everyone considers the best of the best for 2023 as this record automatically deserves a mention at the very least. Alkaloid has been dubbed the mad scientists of death metal in recent times with there being no better work to drive such a descriptor home than all that is “Numen”.

LISTEN to “Numen” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Alkaloid on Facebook here.