After gnawing through the membranes of time and space for untold ages Birmingham, Alabama-based death metal quartet ECTOVOID return with a surreal yet familiar concoct on this accomplished third full-length album. ‘In Unreality’s Coffin‘ retains the signature of the band’s releases from the prior decade, carrying a distinctly United States-built ‘old school’ death metal sound and modus while expanding their reach unto bursts of quicker ripping classicism. Though this evolution eases away some of their bleak, cacophonous edge and looms differently it yet makes for an appreciably flowing pour of surrealistic torment.

Ectovoid formed as a trio in 2010 after most of the original members had spent about five years playing in a death/thrash metal band, ultimately taking a darker turn from that point. Those efforts initially manifested via a combination of the Autopsy and Incantation worship common at the time via a somewhat notable first demo tape. It wasn’t until their first record (‘Fractured in the Timeless Abyss‘, 2012) landed on Blood Harvest that their variant had tapped into its own brand of swaggering USDM and black/death inspired verve, eventually refining it on their underrated follow-up (‘Dark Abstraction‘, 2015). The swagger in question has been described in terms of Finnish death metal and even Execration depending on the listener but I’d pointed to the more left-field drawn side of Goreaphobia when describing the band’s most recent EP (‘Inner Death‘, 2019) several years ago.

Surrealistic visions of alienation, loss of control and commune with swarming disembodied souls found in Ectovoid‘s lyrics suggest a theme which accesses grief with a marveling sight for the trip beyond death while also confronting, in some cases embracing, nihility. Some of this is squarely in line with their study of the classics in the 2010’s while pieces found on ‘In Unreality’s Coffin‘ reflect their tastes and interests evolving over time both in terms of lyricism and songcraft. Likewise some of their author’s hand has naturally evolved beyond the tragic passing of their original guitarist in 2016. With two years of work put into album number three and a new lease on death arriving today these folks smartly evolve the original ideal and signature associated with their name rather than wholly reinvent it.

Two thoughts struck my temple as ‘In Unreality’s Coffin‘ dumped its rallying reek upon me: First, they’ve clearly paid some serious attention to flow not only in terms of their general tracklist but the buzzing sluice from which their riffs eject. Drummer C.M. (Seraphic Entombment, Father Befouled) in particular sounds sharpened here both in terms of the drum recordings being crisply stated in the mix but also fleeter-handed fills which only impress as the album drains on. Second, much of the jarring oddity of past Ectovoid LPs is traded for sleekness of movement. Granted this is in the context of ‘old school’ death metal ideation which calls back to a cavern-bound but still wheeling-hot dynamism of a pre-’95 realm. For my own taste “Intrusive Illusions (Echoes from a Distant Plane)” is the most succinct and potent piece to communicate all of these changes in one four minute chunk though “Collapsing Spiritual Nebula” is a more complete compositional churn of the gears in total.

The first few of times I’d picked this album up it read as a focused thread, familiar sounds built upon the habits of a band not only rooted in the late 2000’s-era of clandestine underground abundance but a group of folks who continue to adhere to the higher standards of the good old shit and not just mid old sounding shit. “Formless Seeking Form” caught my ear in that regard, carrying in an Obituary-esque introductory riff but taking that directive through its paces via moshable cyclic verses, thrashing command and ranting vocal exchange as it’d intensified. This piece was the hinge point of interest on my part, pulling directly into the thick of the album’s impact with its most compelling riffcraft and song-over-song action. The peak of this is probably “Irradiated Self” which notably brings some kicking and grinding movement into the mix while offering a lively push into the second half. Beyond that point Side B doesn’t find its big hook, big riff or anything far beyond their already lain path ’til the The Chasm-feelin’ intro “It Is Without Shape” and final boss “In Anguished Levitation” help to round out the experience with big, gnarled hurl toward the end.

‘In Unreality’s Coffin‘ is one song too long for my taste with consideration for how it carries fairly similar impact throughout and loses some of its steam just beyond the mid-point. With that said it is yet a highest-yet standard achieved for Ectovoid with regard to general curation, production values and performance while a few truly memorable songs help it all stick in mind longer than average. For most fans a specific enough auld USDM-allied sound naturally compels a broad spectrum of interest though this third LP from the band carries some extra appeal across the aisle when trading some (not all) of its odd-angled hand for a few shots of creeped and swinging late 80’s mutiny. A high recommendation.

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