Immortal Bird – Empress/Abscess

Immortal Bird have returned with new album and it’s another powerful punch just like their last one. Empress/Abscess is a blackened thrash melodic death metal punk something released on Broken Limb Records/Manatee Rampage Recordings and it’s a unique hybrid of sound that had me excited to sit down and give this a good listen. Well I am happy to report that this is just as heavy and just as fun as their last offering, but with this release I found that the band had a more mature execution and sound to them. They still experiment but they definitely have a sound that is theirs and it’s a damn good one. Immortal Bird are back!

Leading this ravenous onslaught is Rae Amitay, whose vocal delivery is on par with Angela Gassow’s growl but with more of a black metal scowl to it. Focusing on vocals this time around, you can hear an improvement on her performance on this release and she is definitely one of the best female vocalists in the metal game at the moment. Garry Naples’ drum performance is progressive enough to give this a smarter sound to it, which makes it more than just a blast/double bass fest. There is groove, well timed percussive punishment and of course some traditional death metal/black metal blasts.

In the string department, we have John Picillo on the bass and his sound is very similar to what Vattnet Viskar is doing. Very subtle yet aggressive bass work happening on Empress/Abscess. Bringing forth big subwoofer shattering grooves, he creates some radical riffing of his own when he isn’t matching the riffs from the guitars. Speaking of that, Evan Berry crafts a wide range of metal riffage within the 30 minute time frame of the Empress/Abscess. Each song is a different blend of genres, giving almost all metal heads something to enjoy and headbang to on each song. From atmospheric post-black metal to thrash influenced death metal, Immortal Bird pretty much has it all.

“Neoplastic” is an aggressive start to the release, showcasing up front the massive talent this band has immediately. Weekend Nachos vocalist John Hoffman lends his screams to the song but honestly it was the weakest moment of the track. “Saprophyte” is another rocking track with riveting compositions and sound. “Sycophant” is my least favorite song on the album due to it just being slightly repetitive and the riff is not that interesting. The shortest song on the record drags on and feels like the longest. “To A Watery Grave” however has some dramatic writing happening on it that I can wrap my head around. The energy is black metal meets punk, the execution of it is perfect and the track just slays. The final opus called “And Send Fire” is a big 10:42 song that starts off very slowly but keeps my interest the entire time. The music gradually builds and has this depressing tone about it, which I am immediately bound to. Near the 2:30 mark the music builds even more and things are in full swing at this point, not without some smart techniques and tempo breaks though. The crafty way they put this song together makes it go by so fast and it’s a very grasping song.

So there you have it. Immortal Bird’s Empress/Abscess new album is a pretty damn good one. Touching almost all genres under the metal moon and delightfully making some good music with these tools at their disposal. If you wanted something along the lines of Vattnet Viskar’s new release but with the unorthodox and energy stylings of Ulcerate…then this is for you.

8.5 out of 10

Bandcamp: http://immortalbird.bandcamp.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/immortalbirdband