Neuraxis - Trilateral Progression

circus_brimstone

Forest: Sold Out
Jul 5, 2003
5,154
13
38
41
Indiana
Neuraxis – Trilateral Progression
Willowtip Records – WT038 – September 27th, 2005
By Jason Jordan

neuraxis.jpg


Having heard a couple tracks off Trilateral Progression, I was impressed but wasn’t quite floored until I saw Neuraxis in concert. Right after their set I plopped down $10 for their fourth full-length and toted it out to my car – I’ve been digesting it ever since. In league with fellow Canadians Cryptopsy, Quo Vadis, Beneath the Massacre, and myriad others – as far as technicality goes – this five-piece are monstrous, being one of the best groups in line with this form of death metal.

Here at UM you can check the archives for reviews of Imagery, A Passage into Forlorn, and Truth Beyond…, but Trilateral Progression for me serves as an introduction to this uber-talented outfit. Honestly, Neuraxis are quite the blur, leaving bystanders addled by the technicality of their music, yet to be fair, it is as organized as a library. “Clarity” won’t ease you in as much as it’ll leave you to fend for yourself against tornado-like, destructive death metal, which changes tempo without losing a beat. The single most razor-sharp outing has to be “Monitoring the Mind” – the instrumental chops inflict gashes rather than petty cuts. Still, fanatics of unpredictability will enjoy “A Curative Struggle” for its mellow differentiation, which is indeed juxtaposed with kickass brutality. On a similar note, “Chamber of Guardians” boasts a full minute of softness prior to leaping headfirst into the fray, while the mechanized feel of “Caricature” is not as unexpected as the acoustic guitar interlude found in “Axioms.” Contrary to what you may think, though, there’s a boatload of melody in each and every one of these tracks, sans the intro “Introspect,” plus the guest contributions from respective members of Despised Icon, Misery Index, Augury, and Nefastus Dies add another dimension to an already 3D record.

All in all, a 35-minute album from any band on Willowtip has almost always fared well in my experience. Neuraxis’s Trilateral Progression is no different, but is different in the sense that this brand of technical, brutal death metal can be riveting without succumbing to the viruses that riddle the subgenre such as monotonous blasting, lack of tempo variation, and close-mindedness in regards to experimentation. Concerning this style only, Canada is essentially operating a monopoly, and Neuraxis are one reason the country’s done so well. If their music weren’t so good, then we would’ve moved on by now.

8/10

UM’s Review Rating Scale

Official Neuraxis Website
Official Willowtip Records Website
 
One of my favorit band, they are outstanding live! They have more blastbeats now because they've changed their drummer for an ex-black metal drummer. If any of you like well composed death metal, I'd suggest you get "Truth Beyond", "A passage into Forlorn" or "Trilateral Progression".
 
I remember seeing them at a small show here in the US, and they were good live. Also spoke to the drummer for a while before the gig, nice guys. Even though tech death doesn't appeal much to me anymore, one cannot deny the talent.