I’ve been sitting on this one for a while now. MISCREANCE returns with album No. 2, Reminiscence, out now via Season of Mist. Blending old- and new-school tech-death with thrash metal, there’s plenty here to sink your teeth into.
That said, the results are a mixed bag.
Don’t get me wrong: When these guys hit, they hit in spades. At the same time, quite a few songs simply left me scratching my head.
I’ll explain.
For starters, the first two tracks aren’t terribly exciting. They’re not exactly a test pattern putting me to sleep, but there’s just zero excitement there for me. “Trait d’Union” and “Vision” both kind of stalled out.
That changes quickly with “Scalp Ceremony,” which should put some lead in your pencil. Guitarists Tommaso Cappelletti and Andrea Granauro really go for it here.
“Synaptic Cortex” keeps things moving along briskly, with drummer/vocalist Andrea Feltrin and bassist Jean-Claude Rossignol driving the train into the station. Meanwhile, “Oracle’s Rift” features musicianship that can only be described as top-tier.
“The Moaning Hillcrest” just sounds like nonsense to me, while “Symbiosis” gets a little repetitive. No matter, because “Zenith of a Dying Sun” features some tasty drum work before kicking into gear, and closer “Mirage” goes hard in the paint for a good four minutes or so.
The bottom line for me is this: Some of the work on Reminiscence is great, while other parts fall squarely into that “Nice. Not THRILLING, but nice” category.
Still, I’m sure MISCREANCE will knock some socks off with this disc, so have at it!
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Mirage,” “Scalp Ceremony,” “Oracle’s Rift”
RATING: 7/10
—THE MAESTRO
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