Illogicist
Subjected

When it comes to technical death metal, one immediately thinks of the American bands Death or Cynic, but no one would expect to hear an Italian band mentioned. Surely the name of our fellow countrymen Illogicist can't be compared to those great names, but you can notice a lot of influence from those bands in their songwriting. Don't jump to conclusions about them being copycats, absolutely NOT. There is definitely a kinship with the bands mentioned above, but the product isn't something copied for the nostalgic; rather, it is a sort of new death infused with more modern sounds but never departing from classic metal, to be clear this isn't “nu-death”.

All the songs are very tight, original, and different from each other, where the "sole" common denominator is the technique they draw from their legendary predecessors. There are countless technical passages that would make many renowned bands pale in comparison, with truly absurd tempo changes. We are not dealing with a mere technical exercise, but with a masterful use of technique that serves compositions attacking the listener with a mad death vein, making the listener an essential component so that the music conveys sensations that few albums manage to transmit.
The component that impressed me the most is the bassist, who manages to create very intricate bass lines that often, if not almost always, turn out to be independent of the guitar riffs. Guitars that offer very complicated and varied riffs that give the real dimension of the beauty and originality of Subjected. Notice the sustained, precise, and obviously hyper-technical drumming. Minieri's screaming is always very aggressive and sharp and sometimes reminds me, especially in the faster parts, of the best performances of Stanne from Dark Tranquillity.

All the tracks, although very technical, never lose sight of the goal of drawing the listener into the music despite some passages being truly complex. I will not waste time giving you a detailed explanation song by song; it would be pointless given the practically identical level of beauty of the songs; among others, I highlight "The High Price Of Confidence", which gives us the coordinates of the album with its essentiality, complexity, and speed, then "Knowledge Curse", "Every Straight Lie" and "The Soul Feeder", the latter being a perfect piece for me.

If this is the debut, I can't imagine what awaits us in the future. I don't give a 5 because I'm hoping to give it to its successor, which, just last month, they began recording. Highly recommended for all quality death lovers, believe me, you won't regret it.