Many times have we seen death metal pushed to all sorts of different lengths, but it is not nearly often enough that we get to see a band strive for the stars and actually manage to meet expectations with even fewer instances seeing those expectations exceeded in more ways than one. It’s a privilege whose luster never wanes with there always being a band on the cusp of discovering something fresh and fascinating, and it only makes sense that few names are able to live up to such a bold presence. Learning greatly from their debut four years ago, Pillars of Cacophony did far more than see that concept to the end with their second effort a magnificent demonstration of their blossoming talent.

By no stretch of the imagination, death metal is a frenetic sound that has never been one to back down from a challenge or being forward in its tendencies of aggression, intensity, and violence in many instances. It is something that has long permeated the genre as a whole with legions of bands constantly coming out of the woodwork to show us what can still be done even after decades of innovation and progressive notions that have brought the sound to bold new territories. With all that they summoned within “Paralipomena”, Pillars of Cacophony manages to tap into that and thrive in a state of dissonance fueled by the cold indifference of science that makes for a particularly deadly and surgical breed of death metal, yet never once does that restrict this sound to a stale sound. Constantly and consistently pushing itself towards new heights and showcasing a tremendous level of songwriting and understanding of this corner of the genre, “Paralipomena” demands that you dissect damn near each minute such that you don’t miss so much as a moment from this performance that’s as overwhelming as it is dazzling from top to bottom. The sort of creation that grabs you by the throat and methodically shreds you to pieces on an atomic level, it’s the melding of beauty, calculation, and brutality that makes this album far more than another wannabe work of dissonance. Rather, “Paralipomena” actually makes the cut in such style and prowess that is nigh on intoxicating to behold.

The simple fact that this is but the second album from Pillars of Cacophony should show off the magnitude of talent that we’re dealing with here. This is the embodiment of what happens when death metal meets ingenuity and is given the time and respect to mature into an imposing form that holds nothing back, offers no reprieve, and makes damn sure to leave any and all who come in its path deeply affected by what they came before. “Paralipomena” is indicative of many things. For all that Pillars of Cacophony delivers in heaps, failure is simply not one of them with this record an achievement this act should be exceedingly proud of.

LISTEN to “Paralipomena” on Bandcamp here.

FOLLOW Pillars of Cacophony on Instagram here.