Gnostic
Engineering The Rule

Gnostic: a branch of the Atheist.

That's how one of the many news pieces on Metalitalia reads to announce the debut of this band, within which guitars and drums are occupied by members of Atheist, namely: Chris Baker, Sonny Carson, and Steve Flynn. Immediately, I say we are dealing with a fairly technical metal work, without blemishes and also well arranged, where, especially for "informed" listeners, it will not be difficult to spot Atheist and general techno-death influences at many points. That said, I proceed to evaluate this work, taking into account the period in which it was published: the year 2009, techno-death in general, evolves (and that's good because it demonstrates its ability to incorporate later influences that have made their way into the contemporary metal world over the years), and "Engineering The Rule" bears witness to this, being in some guitar rhythms a "healthy carrier" of riffing remotely similar to so-called modern metal; all of this, however, is well mixed with some recognizable jazzism in the bass lines (often very warm and at the same time intricate), and in the hands and feet of the great Flynn (who does a tremendous job behind the skins), which intersect, in turn, with an obvious death metal matrix and so much, so much technique. The production is excellent; everything can be heard, the instruments having been well valued one by one, with the exception of the bass which is not perpetually present, although in my opinion, this was intentional.

The tracks are all short, which should not bother or affect the final result (see Unquestionable Presence; it is perfect). In light of what has been said herein, the work under review should be perfect, but I want to say that it is not for the following reasons: the guitar solos carry with them an evident trademark, namely Atheist, some bass lines are very similar to those of "Elements," and the tracks are smooth enough to (occasionally) become somewhat banal to my ears. Factors that undermine the personality of the work that "could" be more marked and cry out masterpiece.

In conclusion, a well-played, produced, and arranged album that will delight many and deserves to be bought and listened to. From my side, a good debut, awaiting the next chapter, hopefully more personal and distant from the shadow of the Atheist. Enjoy listening.