CLOCK PARADOX – Egotheism
- Posted on 13-11-2012
Melding the best of technical death metal with progressive tempo changes, Finland’s Clock Paradox will spin your brain upside down and inside out on this debut album "Egotheism". Jouni Koskela employs growls and impassioned screams with nary a trace of clean melodies in sight- while his four musician compatriots level the airspace with speedy blast beats, aggressive picking and stair step riffs, plus the occasional atmospheric requiem that prepares you for the next energetic assault.
Where Clock Paradox excels is the twist of fate transitions within certain songs. "Void" as an example opens its 5:08 arrangement with this soft clean guitar/ deep bass riff that transforms into a crushing death/thrash riff with spasmodic screams and run to the hills percussion pacing in the best Gothenburg death meets Voivod/ Edge Of Sanity tradition before again providing brief respite around the 3 minute mark, only to return for more cunning technical death segments in its conclusion. The follow up "Origo" features some brilliant lead breaks that accent the slower rhythm shifts, almost in an Omnium Gatherum way of thinking, the repetitive chords signaling a call to arms for the listener as their sonic membrane contracts and expands to the sway of the music.
"Egotheism" requires a good 15-20 exposures to grasp fully- and even then I believe there’s always something about songs like "In the Flesh" and "Paradigm" that continually challenge your thought process about progressive, technical death metal. This act understands that for all the brilliance and power of prowess, you still need to capture the essence of your ability in arrangements that flow with melody and groove. You can be subtle about the placement. The effect adds that much more heightened tides of contrast.
Clock Paradox will be one of those unheralded bands that trickle onto end of the year journalist lists as favorites.