The Zenith Passage – Datalysium
Release Date: 21st July 2023
Label: Metal Blade
Bandcamp
Genre: Technical Death Metal, Progressive Death Metal.
FFO: Archspire, Cynic, Obscura, The Faceless.
Review By: Eric Wilt
Time between albums is a luxury that most young bands don’t have. The old adage says, you’ve gotta strike while the iron’s hot, and in today’s world of media over saturation, it’s truer than ever. That’s why it’s surprising that, having only released one full-length and one EP in the last 11 years, The Zenith Passage’s new album, Datalysium, is one of the most anticipated metal albums of the year. Surprising but not unwarranted as their debut record, Solipsist, was one of the best technical death metal albums of the 2010s. After releasing a single in 2021 and a second single in 2022, the time has finally come for The Zenith Passage’s second LP to see the light of day. After so much time between releases, and with only one member, Justin McKinney, remaining from the Solipsist days, it’s fair to wonder if a new album by The Zenith Passage would pack the same punch as their debut. In fact, I was wondering this myself, but after a number of listens, I can say with confidence that Datalysium is every bit as good as Solipsist and maybe even better.
Joining McKinney on the new album are guitarist Christopher Beattie, bassist Brandon Giffin, and vocalist Derek Rydquist. Those who are keeping track at home probably know that the majority of The Zenith Passage’s current line-up has spent time in the super-influential technical death metal band The Faceless. While this may add a little street cred. to the band, The Zenith Passage is legendary in its own right, and Datalysium will only add to their legend. With bangers like The Axiom of Error, which includes a grooving open riff that is different from anything they’ve done before, and Lexicontagion, which sees the band use the ethereal computer-processed singing that Cynic used so well on songs like Veil of Maya, fans of The Zenith Passage are in for a treat. Speaking of singing, Automated Twilight includes the band’s first foray into full-on melodic singing, and it fits perfectly. Other standout songs include Algorithmic Salvation and Synaptic Deprivation, which were released as singles in 2021 and 2022 respectively, and the two-part Divinertia. The latter of which plays like a “best of” everything The Zenith Passage has done on their two albums to this point, from syncopated riffing to unbridled shredding to precise guitar runs that sound like they were created by a computer, Divinertia I and II are a lesson in technical death metal perfection.
Seven years is a long time to wait for a new album, but The Zenith Passage has made it worth our wait. Easily cementing their place in the upper echelon of technical death metal bands, Datalysium is everything we want from a The Zenith Passage album and more. Fans of the band will, no doubt, find Datalysium at the top of their end-of-the-year lists, and those that have never listened to the band will surely be glad they made it to the party (better late than never). If technical death metal is your thing, Datalysium is for you. 
(5 / 5)
