“Technotheism”, The Design Abstract’s third and Voiicide’s (vocals, bass, scoring, sampling, programming) and Logan Mayhem’s (guitars, modular synthesis) fourth album (previously as Design) was good if a very flawed effort suffering from overwhelming form over content and, specifically, the techno synth and keyboard elements overwhelming both the death metal and the melodic which was even reflected in the uneven emphasis of the album’s mix. It was, however, a fair foretaste of what the Canadian symphonic melodic industrial death metal duo was capable of with more focus and better production. Apart from the aforementioned flaws there was something unnamed that marred the album, something which its same year (2021) follow up clearly identifies as a single guitarist problem since for “Metemtechnosis” the two founders co-opted additional guitarist, Matt Nguyen-Ngo, with the result that The Design Abstract (TDA) is now a fully melodic death metal band with symphonic synth and industrial background. In other words, the balance has been repolarized, even if the album still does not sound very extreme and the guitars are a little bit less aggressive but, at the same time, the music has tremendously benefited from it, this time, with very little to complain about.

 

Gone is the Heaven Shall Burn influence while Fear Factory is recalled still in Voiicide’s cleans which, however, can wax surprisingly Ozzy Osbourneish (Metropolis II). Instead, there’s a strong Fires In The Distance vibe to the opening juggernaut “Digital Dawn”, with the excellent soaring clean vocals somewhat reminiscent of Machine Head’s Robb Flynn even if clearly different in tone and multiple melody lines come from keys and guitars sometimes at once (as is the case with Fires In The Distance), or the favorite simply phenomenal “Organic Data Fusion” which Hypocrisy and Amorphis also seem to have influenced, the two tracks examples of the benefit of having two highly skilled guitarists instead of one but it is the closing “Decryptor” which really puts it all on display, almost a symphony of melody and power, again, recalling the aforementioned Fires In The Distance or even Omnium Gatherum or even Behemoth, with a strong It Dies Today and All Shall Perish’s vibes to it. “Born of Machines” sounds like it could have come from the next Threat Signal album while the very rich cinematic instrumentation from synths even echoes Pink Floyd. In another standout, “The Hybrid Awakening” the peaceful start then melodeath melody recalls Darkest Hour or latter Diecast clueing us into the melodeath style which borders on and sometimes merges with metalcore as is the case with both influences, while “Sentinels” is another Hypocrisyic track which flows beautifully into the aforementioned closer. 

 

Where “Technotheism” and “Metemtechnosis” also differ is in the lack of any uninspired or mediocre tracks and there’s only one, quite fitting and consequential instrumental track on this 9 cut album. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that the two songs that are great but somewhat lacking are strongly metalcorish, “Aberration Omega” echoying War Of Ages and the slightly post-metallish “Metropolis II” As I Lay Dying in their early days. And I usually don’t concern myself much with the quality of instrumentals but “Upheaval” is fantastic, very reminiscent of Depeche Mode’s “Never Let Me Down”.

 

It’s simply amazing that a band releases two albums the same year but it is mindblowing how much progress was made in those nine months in between. The music is top notch, the production excellent even if a little on the digital side, likely on purpose given the humanity becomes machines subject matter made famous by Fear Factory on their landmark releases. Perhaps the half a point deduction from perfection accounts also for originality since TDA is fairly but not very original but the quality of “Metemtechnosis” simply overrides any other critical points one could raise, another home run for the promoter Jon Asher and Asher Media Relations! I strongly recommend this disc and can’t wait for another album which they are reportedly already working on as we speak.