Perhaps calling it the “Next big thing” made in Italy is an exaggeration, but we are certainly once again facing a band that has little to envy from much more well-known foreign colleagues.

The Modenese Human Improvement Process are the classic entity that prefers actions to words, spends hours in the rehearsal room, and is damn updated on metal. It is therefore with extreme pleasure that I find myself talking about “Deafening Dissonant Millennium” a debut album that wipes away its self-produced predecessor without mercy. We are not talking about an easy listening record, but rather something that incorporates various elements and schools of thought that are very distant from each other. Even though we are talking about metal and dealing with personalities far from being defined as “lords,” the first things that strike you when listening are the excellent instrumental technique of the musicians and the crystal-clear sounds, elements that raise the appreciation of those who—like myself—seek complex and thoroughly enjoyable sound structures.

“Deafening Dissonant Millennium” is a bastard mix between the Nordic metal school (where technical rigor and attention to detail are the order of the day) and the American one (where destructive frenzy and speed are a source of pride), an album that we could list among death metal productions but which fundamentally is not, or rather, it is partially so. It’s enough to glance at the artwork (amazing!) to realize how fast these guys are moving, with their minds and their actions. Every song contained in this album is something extremely fast and brutal, where even the more melodic parts manage, in some way, to impress with how they are structured. The teamwork in the case of this band has been fundamental: the guitars are decidedly inspired—cranking out headache-inducing riffs in industrial quantities—followed closely by the rhythm section ready to provide support with a bombproof sound wall. If we want to be picky, a little more variation on the vocal aspect wouldn't have hurt (all this destructive energy ultimately dazes), with a versatile singer always ready to spit all his anger into the microphone. Certainly, this small flaw isn’t enough to ruin the party put together by the Human Improvement Process, a party with a high alcohol content and made even more appealing by a noteworthy soundtrack. A must-have.

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