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Album Review – Eschaton / Techtalitarian (2025)

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This Technical Death Metal and Deathcore juggernaut returns after a gap of six years with a reinvigorated, star-studded lineup, offering us all their breathtaking, intricate and demented third studio album.

Formed in 2006 and based in both Naugatuck, Connecticut and Lowell, Massachusetts, Technical Death Metal/Deathcore juggernaut Eschaton returns after a gap of six years with a reinvigorated, star-studded lineup that undoubtedly elevates their sound to hitherto unexplored heights, exploding our senses with their third full-length offering, entitled Techtalitarian. Displaying an Aliens-inspired artwork by Dave Melvin, the new beast by vocalist Mac Smith (Apogean, Abyssalis, Hammer of Dawn), guitarists Christian Muenzner (Retromorphosis, Eternity’s End, Necrophagist, Obscura, Alkaloid) and Josh Berry (the band’s founder), bassist Scott Bradley (Inanimate Existence), and drummer Darren Cesca (Goratory, Serpents of Gnosis, Pillory, Deeds of Flesh, Arsis) is the perfect follow-up to their 2019 album Death Obsession, standing on its own without having to be necessarily pitted against any of the aforementioned bands’ past efforts.

Their futuristic Death Metal attack begins with Inferior Superior, with Darren simply demolishing everything and everyone that dares to cross his path while Mac fires inhumane roars for our total delight, and the sick shredding by Christian and Josh set the tone in Devour the Contrarian, another bestial tune overflowing heaviness and insanity. Then their violent sounds will hammer our heads mercilessly in Blood of the People, where they showcase all their dexterity while also staying loyal to the foundations of the most ruthless form of Death Metal, whereas more demented riffs, solos, blast beats and demonic vociferations are offered to our avid ears in Hellfire’s Woe, perfect for some wicked headbanging, with Scott’s bass lines sounding utterly metallic. And The Bellicose Duality sounds even more infuriated and insane than its predecessors, with the entire band melting our faces with their undisputed Technical Death Metal sounds.

The album continues on a high and visceral note with Econocracy, with Darren once again demolishing his drums with tons of rage and dexterity while Mac barks and growls like a rabid beast nonstop; and in Antimatter the rabid Mac vociferates the song’s wicked lyrics manically (“Bleeding from inanimate spiracles / Metonymy of our existence / Our roaming stative / Repelling forces within all existence”) amidst a hurricane of aggressive yet complex Death Metal. Techtalitarian, the song that carries the name of the album, perfectly summarizes Eschaton’s current sound, a striking combination of violence with the most technical form of extreme music you can imagine. Darren also dictates the pace in The Sufferer’s Dichotomy, while Christian and Josh extract sheer insanity from their axes; followed by the closing tune Castle Strnad, which might be their homage to Trevor Strnad of The Black Dahlia Murder, who sadly passed away on May 11, 2022. Not sure if that’s the case, but even if it’s not, this is another neck-breaking, unrelenting display of first-class Death Metal by the band.

You can put your tech death hands on Techtalitarian by purchasing a copy of it from their own BandCamp, as well as from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ main store, Bandcamp, Europe store or US store, and don’t forget to also follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram, and to stream more of their demented creations on Spotify or any other streaming service. Eschaton are back into the Death Metal battlefield stronger and sharper than ever, staying loyal to their foundations but of course with the renewed energy brought by the band’s new members turning their heat and aggression up to 11, and if you consider yourself a loyal servant of the extreme music arts, always staying tech, then Techtalitarian is a must-have in your dark and heavy collection.

Best moments of the album: Hellfire’s Woe, The Bellicose Duality and Techtalitarian.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Inferior Superior 4:12
2. Devour the Contrarian 3:46
3. Blood of the People 4:51
4. Hellfire’s Woe 5:04
5. The Bellicose Duality 4:24
6. Econocracy 5:28
7. Antimatter 4:02
8. Techtalitarian 4:00
9. The Sufferer’s Dichotomy 4:20
10. Castle Strnad 5:21

Band members
Mac Smith – vocals
Christian Muenzner – lead guitars
Josh Berry – guitars
Scott Bradley – bass
Darren Cesca – drums

Album Review – Inanimate Existence / Clockwork (2019)

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A pulverizing album of Technical and Progressive Death Metal by a ruthless Bay Area triumvirate, dealing with the human tendency to struggle with the acceptance of mortality and our limited time on earth.

Formed in 2011 in the renowned Bay Area, in the state of California, United States, Progressive/Technical Death Metal trio Inanimate Existence returns in 2019 with a brand new opus entitled Clockwork, the follow-up to the group’s highly praised fourth album, Underneath a Melting Sky, released in 2017. Featuring a futuristic and whimsical cover art by by Justin Abraham (who has already worked with bands like Equipoise, Aepoch and Oubliette), with additional artwork by Mark Erskine (from Erskine Designs), recorded by Inanimate Existence and Zack Ohren, and mixed and mastered by Zack Ohren at Shark Bite Studios in Oakland, California, Clockwork delves deeper into cerebral Progressive Death Metal depths, while buoyed by the group’s established penchant for merciless full-throttle brutality and frenetic tech-death driven terrain.

And the band comprised of Cameron Porras on vocals and guitar, Scott Bradley on bass and backing vocals, and Ron Casey (Continuum, Brain Drill) on drums had a few nice words to say about their newborn spawn. “We’re thrilled to finally be able to share our 5th studio album with all of you! This is definitely the most work we have ever put into an album by a long shot. Sound wise I’d say that it’s a continuation of our last album but much more polished and mature,” commented the band, describing Clockwork’s thematic focus as “dealing with the human tendency to struggle with the acceptance of mortality and our limited time on earth. It explores the questions we torment ourselves with during life along with the irony of how small and insignificant we are in the grand scheme of the universe. The title refers to the mechanisms of a clock and how every tick brings you closer to your doom.”

The trio begins firing their fusion of insanity and progression mercilessly in the title-track Clockwork, with Ron dictating the rhythm with his furious beats while Cameron brings a touch of delicacy to the music with his guitar riffs and solos, sounding at the same time devastating and very melodic; whereas in Voyager we’re treated to lyrics that exhale insanity (“Isolated, trapped inside the capsule / I fear that I may now be on my own / My crew have perished, and I am alone / Orbiting beyond the atmosphere / My communications are down and the power is cut / I gaze back to the Earth / Wondering, will I be remembered?”), with the music bringing elements from smoother styles like Jazz while Scott extracts sheer thunder from his intricate bass lines. This talented American triumvirate keeps smashing our senses with their vicious Progressive Death Metal attack in Apophenia, as complex and pulverizing as possible, sounding as if the almighty Krisiun went full progressive at times, offering to the listener several neck-breaking moments led by Ron’s insane drumming; and their metal extravaganza goes on in Desert, with all three member firing wicked and intricate sounds and tones from their respective instruments. Put differently, it’s straightforward Progressive Death Metal with a vibrant atmosphere, not to mention Cameron’s sick solos adding some welcome lunacy to the overall result.

In Solitude the band offers us pensive and modern lyrics (“I return to solitude / Where once again I contemplate / What my purpose is inside this burdensome reality / I return to solitude / Where once again I contemplate / What is my purpose?”), while its instrumental parts are absolutely mental, with both Cameron and Ron crushing their weapons nonstop, followed by Diagnosis, where the band continues to slash our ears with the modernized and very complex version of Death Metal. Moreover, the bass lines by Scott sound insanely heavy and metallic, with the music also bringing interesting eerie passages and breaks (despite going on for a bit too long). Then back to a more demonic and infuriated mode we have Ocean, blending the most violent and thrilling elements from Progressive and Death Metal with Ron sounding infernal on drums, therefore providing Cameron the perfect ambience for gnarling deeply and rabidly, once again presenting spot-on melodic and ethereal passages. Lastly, Liberation closes the album with more of the dynamic, electrifying sounds from the depths of the human psyche by the trio, with Scott and Ron bringing thunder to the musicality while Cameron keeps delivering harmonious riffs and solos while growling like a beast until the song’s visceral ending.

You can have your brain shredded into pieces by listening to Clockwork in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify, and after being stunned by Inanimate Existence simply go check what they’re up to on their official Facebook page, including their tour dates, and purchase your copy of their brand new opus from their BandCamp page, from The Artisan Era webstore (in several exclusive formats and bundles), from Apple Music or from Amazon. As aforementioned, the band itself said that we all struggle with the concept of mortality and our limited time on this planet, which means we should not waste too much time thinking but enjoying some good, destructive and complex Death Metal while we’re alive, with Clockwork being an excellent choice for that.

Best moments of the album: Voyager, Desert and Ocean.

Worst moments of the album: Diagnosis.

Released in 2019 The Artisan Era Records

Track listing
1. Clockwork 4:34
2. Voyager 5:40
3. Apophenia 4:37
4. Desert 4:06
5. Solitude 4:42
6. Diagnosis 5:34
7. Ocean 4:55
8. Liberation 6:43

Band members
Cameron Porras – vocals, guitar
Scott Bradley – bass, vocals
Ron Casey – drums