Hemotoxin-Biological Enslavement (2016)

First things first: Hemotoxin is a really cool band. What else could you expect from a band with top musicianship? so you know this is going to be some technical stuff! The riffs on this album are fast and really catchy, and the drumming is insane. Brutal death vocals are present, as well as... Now I know these guys are the real deal. I'm still getting over the uniqueness and coolness of the first song, when all of the sudden I'm hit in the face by a killer guitar solo with some technical flair. Nice. Okay, I was impressed, so I gave the rest of the CD a listen...Brutal display of the band's abilities. The chorus are catchy, and the drumwork will keep your head banging. Vocals reminds me of Cynic and Death a little bit, and that makes me happy.  Of course, the rest of the CD feels complete and offers plenty of insane drumming, killer riffs and solos. The album starts off fast and technical, ventures to melodic, shifts back and forth between those a bit with some progressive parts here and there, and finally concludes with a sound pretty refreshing, and the music definitely has a lot of life to it, as opposed to some similar bands who would be technical for the sake of being technical. Hemotoxin keeps their music emotional and engaging. I highly recommend giving this CD a good listen. "Biological Enslavement" offers both the expected and the unexpected. On one hand, it's exactly what you'd expect from a young band, complex instrumental sections, harsh vocals and shredding solos. On the other, it throws in a wide variety of things you wouldn't expect from Hemotoxin's brand of metal. All in all, "Biological Enslavement" is an instant keeper. If you were to mix post-1990 Death with Atheist and Cynic, you'd get this album. This is exactly how progressive death metal should sound; heavy, atmospheric, technical, and with a strong vocal performance. Favorites: All of them!
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Review by Paul Caravasi