Label -Unique Leader Records
Release - 16th July 2021
Strap yourselves in, pour yourself a large drink and get ready to tear your house apart. You have been warned! Cognitive, the 5 piece tech, groove death metal band hailing from New Jersey formed in 2011 have released their fourth album ‘Malevolent Thoughts of a Hastened Extinction’ – try saying that after a few drinks- on Unique Leader records.
If you are in any way familiar with Unique Leader Records roster of artists then you will be aware that they have a knack for releasing some of the finest albums in this genre. Only this year did Osiah release their latest album ‘Loss’ to high acclaim and it’s no coincidence that Cognitive have done the same.
Cognitive do not let up for a second on these 10 tracks of pure disgustingly filthy, groovy tech death metal. Even the ‘mellow’ passages on tracks such as ‘Malevolent Thoughts’ are still heavy in their own right.
‘Eniac’ opens the album with the nostalgic sound of internet dial up before unleashing into a barrage of punishing blast beats and ferocious riffing, thus setting the tone for the album.
‘To Feed the Worms’ is a fine example of Cognitive at their best. Raw and unrelenting with one of the finest guitar solos on the album. The track also has a no frills video to go with it in which the band are in a warehouse, no camera tricks, no CGI, just stripped back and simple, oh and blood spewing out of their mouths, this is metal after all!
Penultimate track ‘Destitute’ is the slowest of the tracks on here and the most diverse, opening with an eerie guitar lead, one would expect the song to explode out of the traps, conversely it is a slow burner with vocalist Shane Jost showing off various vocal techniques of clean singing before reverting back to the harsh tones. Vocalist Jost sounds angry, bloody angry. He delivers a brutal vocal performance, from low guttural growls to high screams in the vein of Trevor from The Black Dahlia Murder.
The band are as tight as a ducks arse – which hopefully delivers in their live performances- with intricate, dancing fret work from the two axemen Harry Lannon and Rob Wharton, to bassist Tyler Capone-Vitale laying down some dense basslines. But praise must be given to drummer AJ Viana, double bass lines so fast that it’s hard to comprehend and sublime fast paced fills using every bit of his kit as he drives the brutality forward.
AJ also recorded and mixed the album, and credit in the mix, everything is balanced perfectly so nothing is left behind.
This album most certainly won’t be for everyone in the metal world. It is a unique sub-genre that isn’t for the feint hearted. However, if you are a fan of Ingested, Fit for An Autopsy etc. then this album will certainly get your juices flowing.
Keep an eye out for these lads on future tours as after this release they will certainly be hot property. And please, if you go into the pit at one of their live shows be careful, as you might not come out alive.
8/10
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