Progressive death metal (in the info sheet described as technical thrash/death metal) generally means: many breaks, fast guitars runs, tricky fretboard stuff and many changes in speed. With that SUBCONSCIOUS plumply campaign and likewise blithely queue in the same line with unforgotten Death and Chuck Schuldiner. At least we don’t talk about a bunch of shoats but seemingly old stagers who have released two albums in the mid 90’s to take an around 10 years lasting break afterwards. Honestly, I cannot remember this band. The info also doesn’t reveal, why the band wants to try it again…
Ok, let’s talk about the band’s newest release: Irregular. The info sheet description is quite close to what I’m listening to. SUBCONSCIOUS try to combine riffs and moods in heaps but never losing the musical demand. Unfortunately the band has a real luxury problem: three excellent musicians are not necessary good song writers. Regarding the skills they are in fact above all doubts but besides technical aspects the music isn’t exactly brilliant (what is in fact the main difference to Death…).
So I cannot take much pleasure in the jazz-influenced bass lines; riffs don’t intertwine the way to create a homogenous song and the tantalized singing is objectively viewed average at best. Single passages of course attract attention but almost regularly a part follows to destroy the just created tension. This way one could understand the following info statement: „...their new album contains plenty of rhythm changes and progressive elements which makes the music irreproducible sometimes...“ as an anti-promotion…
Besides the quiet but absolutely well-done instrumental Intermission, I like the bit straighter tracks The Falling Of Existence and Soulless (cut back) most. Regarding the progressive side only the slowest one Enemy Unseen displays something like a comprehensible read thread. Possibly I’d also mention Reflections. To the rest I cannot find access to, although I think, a more variable singer with a wider vocal ambitus could make a bit more out of Irregular. On the other hand I cannot help thinking that the time for this kind of music is definitely over…