### Arkaik: Metamorphignition

#### 10/09/13 || The Duff

Arkaik are a technical death metal band in the vein of Severed Savior circa-“Servile Insurrection”, and if that’s too recent for you, then I dunno; fancy Deeds of Flesh, Decrepit Birth – this is a very heavy, melodic strain of classically and jazz-influenced, sporadic death metal, with a lot of frenetic riffs spitting out melodic accoutrements.

I reviewed their debut, “Reflections Within Dissonance”, and to say the least these guys are passionate and they are gifted; they simply have less identity than Severed Savior’s foray into melodic, technical, brutal death metal.

This is a maelstrom of well-placed riffs albeit difficult to interpret in the one sitting, mind-boggling, tasteful solos and dizzying albeit stale drumming, following suit with the guitars, and of an horrendously thin tone (the bass is of the floating, Obscura, probably fretless variety); the arrangements are thoughtful, provocative, but rarely engaging other than with the accuracy to which they are executed.

Needless to say, the musicianship is top notch, the production crystal, Arkaik clearly had a budget for this record (which belies the tacky album cover oh I jest), and the band has tightened its sound; unfortunately, while the band’s debut lacked identity, it was more memorable, and so I would urge anyone who is a tech death fan to venture into “Metamorphignition”, but there are better outfits doing the rounds: Origin/Cynic/Decrepit Birth combo, namely the masters, Deeds of Flesh, as well as Odious Mortem, Severed Savior and then even The Faceless.

- Information
- Released: 2012
- Label: Unique Leader Records
- Website: Arkaik MySpace
- Band
- Ivan Munguia: bass
- Craig Peters: guitars
- Chance Strickland: guitars
- Jared Christianson: vocals
- Alex Bent: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Skin Graft Hieroglyphics
- 02. Metamorphignition
- 03. Sirens in Electric Veils Part 1
- 04. Sirens in Electric Veils Part 2
- 05. Blade Grasp Priesthood
- 06. Soliloquies of the War Machine
- 07. The Laughing Prophet of Doom
- 08. The Withered Hands of Mortality
- 09. The Omnipus
- 10. Opus Brahmanic