. . \_ _/ \ \ / / __\ \ / /__ \ __\ /__ / . \ \ / / / __ _____ ___ _\_\ /_/_ ___/ /___ _ ___ / / ___ \ / \ /___ ___ / \__ ___/ / / \___ ___ ____ / / \__ _/ \__ __/ / \ / ___/ / / \___ / \_____/ _____/ / / \ /___/ /____\ ____/_/ /_/ / \ _ \ _____/_ / /_ / / / ____/_\ ____/\ / / / / / \_ / / _______/ / / ____/__/ \ _\ / / / / ____ /____/ /____ / / / / / / /____/_____ /_____/ / \ ______/____ / /____/ /_______ _._ /_____/ / /_____/___ /_ / _._ / . /____/_ // / . \ _/_ / /. / _\_ / / B L E E D i N G / __\ _ \ \ / /___ / ___\ \ /__ / . \ __\ / / \ \ /_/ \_\ : Artist :: Fractal Generator : : Album :: Convergence : : Year :: 2024 : _:_ . . _:_ :/ / \ \: / _\ ___ _ _ ___ /_ \ / /____\ /____\ \ /_/ \_\ : : : Genre :: Death Metal Source :: WEB/MP3 : : Label :: Everlasting Spew Records R.date :: 2024-06-06 : : Size :: 95.92 MB S.date :: 2024-06-07 : : : : Bitrate :: CBR 320kbps : : Quality :: 44.1 kHz/Full Stereo : : URL :: http://deezer.com/album/568412811 : : : : : : 1. Cryogenian 4:17 : : 2. Convergence 4:26 : : 3. Askesis 4:04 : : 4. Ancient Civilizations 4:21 : : 5. Obelisk 4:23 : : 6. Ciphertext 4:36 : : 7. Xiphoid 4:12 : : 8. Algorithmic Pathways 4:47 : : 9. Encephalon 4:50 : : : : : : ------- : : 39:56 : _:_ . . _:_ :/ / \ \: / _\ ___ _ _ ___ /_ \ / /____\ /____\ \ /_/ \_\ : : : Out of the apeiron and into ghostly solar orbit the sudden : : phasing-in of brand new celestial spheres offers both : : cataclysmic energy and a mysterious omen within the universal : : simulation depicted by Sudbury, Ontario-based death metal : : trio FRACTAL GENERATOR on this third full-length album. : : Illustrating cosmic turbulence by way of brutal, technical : : and eerily dramatic death metal machinery æConvergenceæ is : : both the next chapter and further delve into the signature : : sound of this otherwise machine-built bandÆs wares. The level : : of punishing precision and early post-millennium death metal : : bombast is palpable here from the first few notes and : : unflinching to a fault as their hammer guides the majority of : : their sojourn herein. : : : : Although Fractal Generator technically formed circa 2008 they : : werenÆt necessarily ready to go beyond that first demo, not : : until 2013 or so when theyÆd established the main trio and : : began work on their first full-length album : : (æApotheosynthesisæ, 2015) a noisome technical death metal : : release often given the ôblackenedö tag for the sake of a few : : keyboard hits and some late 90Æs grooves. Though I wouldnÆt : : discount anyoneÆs enjoyment of that first record it wasnÆt : : the fully formed and tautly realized entity weÆd found on : : æMacrocosmosæ in 2021 where their whole idea became outsized, : : more overtly expressive of its themes and less congested by : : the ôbrutalö clip of their tempo. IÆd reviewed it favorably : : at the time and provided extensive enough thoughts in said : : review which I wonÆt restate here beyond noting some clear : : inspiration taken from Hate Eternal and Rutan-era Morbid : : Angel and a focus on riffcraft which had its own textural : : play at hand even when machining through its grooves. They : : were at their best on songs like ôChaosphereö where use of : : sci-fi sound effects, keyboards and a wrathful pace made for : : a horrified and intense tech-but-not-tech death experience a : : la earlier Fleshgod Apocalypse. My mind wasnÆt smashed to : : pieces by it but you could tell theyÆd put plenty of work : : into that record and there was some potential for greatness : : in their efforts, thisÆd been the main reason IÆd been keen : : to take a closer look at this follow up. : : : : Most of what Fractal Generator manage in terms of crafting : : death metal rhythms relies on cold-beaten drum patternation : : for its spine and as such there is a motorized hum to : : everything they do, the main tool theyÆve deployed in order : : to counteract the soulless drive of these songs is once again : : amplified use of keyboards and various dramatic accoutrement : : in order to compound their general theme. æConvergenceæ : : doesnÆt necessarily change the palette provided by : : æMacrocosmosæ in this regard nor have they messed with the : : general ~4-5 minute brutal-technical death metal type song : : structures thatÆve defined each of their releases thus far. : : Heavier use of synth/keyboards for effect on songs like : : ôAncient Civilizationsö and operatic interjections on : : ôCiphertextö take us from that general Azarath or Myrkskog : : level of bleak, ôblackenedö brutality closer to a sound which : : reminds me of the dramatism found in the more performative : : side of late 2000Æs Italian and French black/death metal. : : Those are examples of some of the more severe points of : : exaggeration but theyÆll ultimately be what most folks : : remember best about this album. : : : : Opener ôCryogenianö is probably one of the more thrillingly : : set pieces on the album thanks to its initial focus on : : scrambling tech-riffs, wailing choirs, and the plunge it : : takes into the action to start. Their most compelling rhythms : : tend to develop from a point of calculated brutality and in : : that sense æConvergenceæ introduces itself with a best foot : : forward, developing a notable racing groove beyond ~2:10 : : minutes in, and steps away after theyÆve developed a : : substantial enough statement. While we will find their use of : : tempo a bit too consistent and song structures fairly uniform : : those strictures enable (mostly) complete statements to form : : within each song and within the whirr of their machine IÆd : : rarely been left wanting for elaboration on any incomplete : : statements or ideas. Early in the review process IÆd found : : the title track and ôAskesisö presented a hammered-at blur, : : simpler grooves assault the senses without any wild turns : : taken and thisÆd allowed some space to appreciate the : : riffcraft and how the guitaristÆs general authorship of : : rhythms involves frantic textural shifts rather than playing : : with tempo moment to moment. I wouldnÆt mistake the bluntly : : rippled grooves of ôAskesisö for the escalating ride of : : ôConvergenceö but there is no major reason I might recall and : : return to either one outside of their part in the full : : listen. A song like ôAncient Civilizationsö might stand out a : : bit more in the grand scheme of things but not for the sake : : of interrupting its own thread, but rather the span of the : : album as it swerves a bit harder than the pieces which : : surround it. : : : : As suggested ôCiphertextö is probably the point where Fractal : : Generator take the biggest chance, throw some slower grooves : : into the mix and include some haunting operatic wailing : : throughout the song. The first time I hit this song it was : : something like, hearing Hate cover an old PlayStation 2-era : : Castlevania song, and it felt more like gothic horror than : : sci-fi, but it serves a memorable moment nonetheless. I : : appreciated this kind of song and how theyÆd begun to work in : : some new ideas over on Side B as I ripped through this ~40 : : minute album numerous times. As the tunnel vision set in and : : the steady-going roll nÆ burst pace of it all began to : : desensitize over time getting a least a bit weird with some : : of those chugged-at grooves and eerie chorales (ôAlgorithmic : : Pathwaysö) helped to keep it burning along. : : : : All things considered I donÆt think æConvergenceæ ever felt : : like itÆd outdone, overshot, or raised any particular : : ambition beyond what these folksÆd achieved on æMacrocosmosæ. : : On one hand weÆve got a consistent follow-up which reinforces : : and expands the signature elements of the trioÆs sound, on : : the other hand it is an altogether similar experience unless : : youÆre willing to needle at a few details and appreciate the : : extra accoutrement and atmosphere available to this record. : : The die-hard brutal and technical death metal fandom are : : likely best suited for Fractal Generatoræs machine gunned-out : : density and dramatic (but still contained) treatment of : : sci-fi themes if only for the sake of how persistent its : : pacing is. Since IÆd appreciated the previous album this once : : again makes for a compelling enough spin, a weirding but not : : quite weird enough listening experience per my own taste : : though it frankly wonÆt likely be a record I return to often : : for the sake of it hitting very specific level of pummel and : : pomp for its duration. If your brain is considerably less : : calloused by this sort of thing the developing signature of : : the band may very well present a unique enough path, it is a : : thrillingly brutal ride-through either way. : : : _:_ _:_ /__ /\ /\ __\ __ /__/ /___ / \ ___\ \__\ __ /----/ /----/-- --\----\ \----\ ___ /\/ /________ ________\ \/\ ___ \/ /________ /___ . . ___\ ________\ \/ \ \ \ ___/ / /__ / \_ _/ \ __\ \ \___ / / / \ \ \ \___ / / \/ \ \ / / \/ \ \ ___/ / / / __\ \ \ _/ / _\_ __\ \ / /__ _/_ \ \_ / / /__ \___ \ \ \ / / \ __\ /__ / \ \ / / / ___/ \/\ \ / /___ \ \ ___ / / ___\ \ / /\/ ____\ / /___/___ ____ _\_\ / \___ /_/_ ____ ___\___\ \ /____ \____/ / _____/ / _/ \ __/ / / \_ \ \_____ \ \____/ -/ /__/------------\__ \ /___ __/------------\__\ \- / /__ / /_ / __\ \ _` / / /__ `_ / /_____ //_/ \ / /______/ \ / / \ \ / /__ __\ \ /__ / \ __\ / / \ \ / / \ \ / \