One of the most promising prog and tech death bands of the current scene is finally back with their sophomore opus, showcasing a staggering progress from their debut.
Hailing from Besançon, a city in eastern France, near the border with Switzerland, the up-and coming Progressive/Technical Death Metal outfit The Scalar Process showed a lot of promise on their 2021 debut album Coagulative Matter as a young band. Fast forward five years and vocalist Mathieu Lefevre, guitarists Eloi Nicod and Lucas Martinez, bassist Vincent Amar, and drummer Thomas Giroud are finally back with their sophomore opus, entitled Agnomysticism, showcasing a staggering progress from their debut. The music seems to have taken an ethereal form, soaring above and raining down thundering riffs followed by shards of piercing melodies, all embraced by the striking artwork by Celest C. and featuring the very special guests Andy Thomas (Rivers of Nihil) and Justin Mckinney (The Zenith Passage), being therefore highly recommended for fans of bands like Fallujah, The Zenith Passage, and Rivers Of Nihil.
After an ethereal, otherworldly intro the music evolves into pure Progressive Death Metal madness in Physical Conquest, where Thomas showcases all his dexterity supported by the rumbling bass by Vincent. Mathieu’s deep guttural matches perfectly with the striking riffage by Eloi and Lucas in Far From The Flesh, a lecture in Technical Death Metal by those talented musicians that will surely smash your spine like a vile creature, followed by Incessant Continuum, featuring guest Andy Thomas on clean vocals, where another whimsical start that morphs into sheer madness led by Thomas’ relentless beats and fills. And guest Justin Mckinney delivers a killer guitar solo in Illness, while Mathieu continues to fire his deep, devilish roars nonstop, flowing manically until its grand finale.
Then after the enfolding instrumental interlude Affluent Marea, showcasing their crying guitars and dense atmosphere, we face A Breathing Moment, absolutely visceral and aggressive from the very first second while also presenting the band’s trademark progressive and intricate sounds. The title-track Agnomysticism will penetrate deep inside your soul and drag you to a different dimension to the sound of the metallic bass by Vincent and the hammering drums by Thomas, while Lack Of Colors continues from where the previous song left off, with Eloi and Lucas once again delivering absolute insanity from their axes. The electronic interlude Sigil feels too lengthy in the end as it takes away part of the rage from all previous songs, but fortunately the album comes to an end in style with In A Light Frame, where Mathieu’s deep vociferations walk hand in hand with the pulverizing wall of sounds crafted by his bandmates, with all riffs, solos and relentless drumming sounding majestic.
After all is said and done, you’ll realize Agnomysticism is a highly accomplished album, taking the sound of the band forward and elevating it beyond the ordinary, and if you’re curious to know more about such a promising band of the prog and tech death scene you can find them on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their classy music on any platform like Spotify, and purchase their striking new album from their own BandCamp or from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ BandCamp, main store, US store or EU store (or simply click HERE for all things The Scalar Process). Agnomysticism is not an album for the average listener. It’s a lecture in Progressive and Technical Death Metal, and once you’re dragged into the world of The Scalar Process, there’s no turning back.
Best moments of the album: Far From The Flesh, Incessant Continuum and In A Light Frame.
Worst moments of the album: Sigil.
Released in 2026 Transcending Obscurity Records
Track listing
1. Physical Conquest 6:00
2. Far From The Flesh 4:47
3. Incessant Continuum 5:41
4. Illness 3:51
5. Affluent Marea 3:04
6. A Breathing Moment 4:02
7. Agnomysticism 6:58
8. Lack Of Colors 2:25
9. Sigil 4:20
10. In A Light Frame 4:39
Band members
Mathieu Lefevre – vocals
Eloi Nicod – guitars
Lucas Martinez – guitars
Vincent Amar – bass
Thomas Giroud – drums
Guest musicians
Andy Thomas – clean vocals on “Incessant Continuum”
Justin Mckinney – guitar solo on “Illness”