Alkaloid – Numen
Release Date: 15th September 2023
Label: Season of Mist
Bandcamp
Genre: Progressive Metal, Technical Metal, Death Metal, Extreme Metal.
FFO: Obscura, Obsidious, The Zenith Passage.
Review By: Eric Wilt
Supergroups are generally hit or miss. For every Bloodbath or Down, there’s a plethora of bands that look great on paper but never match their output with their potential. Perhaps it’s the whole too many chefs in the kitchen thing, but for whatever reason, supergroups often turn out to be anything but super. One band that is the exception to this rule is Alkaloid. Boasting a who’s who of metal musicians that includes vocalist/guitarist Morean formerly of Dark Fortress, drummer Hannes Grossman who’s a member of Triptykon and has played with Obscura, Necrophagist, Hate Eternal, and Blotted Science, guitarist Christian Münzner who is currently in Obscura and has played with Necrophagist and Defeated Sanity, and bassist Linus Klausenitzer who also played with Obscura, Alkaloid, who has already released two highly-touted full lengths, is back with, quite possibly, the best album of their impressive career.
In an interview leading up to the release of their new album, Morean stated that “The ‘prog’ tag is handy for us because, per definition, it already encompasses a wider range of possible styles and influences we can get away with than any one specific metal genre.” On Numen, the band has taken this to heart and included as many styles of extreme metal as they could squeeze into 11 tracks.
While Alkaloid has definitely written an album that does not conform to one genre or description, there is one thing that is consistent on every song on the album, namely there are lots of shredding solos. No matter what style of extreme metal a song may be, Alkaloid always finds time for some good ol’ fashioned face melting guitar pyrotechnics. The Cambrian Explosion includes one of the most awe-inspiring examples of this on the album. Not to mention, the song includes a section of Spanish classical guitar, a choir, and a jazz section. See what I mean? Alkaloid is going everywhere on Numen, and it is awesome.
One thing Alkaloid does more on Numen than on past albums is utilize some groove metal parts, especially during verses. Some songs that showcase this are Qilphosis, Clusterfuck, and Shades of Shub-Niggurath. Qilphosis is also notable for the middle section of the song where the guitar and bass jam a little before going full-on jazz for a bit, while Shades of Shub-Niggurath is also notable for its catchy melodic chorus.
A Fool’s Desire begins with an acoustic section, part of which reminds me of Led Zeppelin’s No Quarter, before transitioning to a more melodic modern-metal style song. Even still, Alkaloid effortlessly works in an aggressive section full of double bass and harsh vocals before the song ends.
The Fungi from Yuggoth is probably the most technical song on the album. It includes some dissonant riffing, which fits in quite nicely with Alkaloid’s technical metal, while Recursion is one of the most aggressive songs on the album. It contains lots of mind-bending riffing that left my jaw on the floor. The whole thing sounds more like a guitar warm up than actual riffs, but it is awesome!
Numen, the title song, begins with what sounds like a synth but is probably a guitar using effects. The music is drenched in reverb, giving the song a unique feel. It is less aggressive than other tracks on the album, but it’s definitely progressive. In fact, it does not sound like an exact replica, but it could fit right in on an older Opeth album, one where Akerfeldt still used his growls.
The Folding is more experimental, with a section that was manipulated in studio to make it sound like the song is being played backwards.
Finally, Alpha Aur is a 13:20 track, and Alkaloid uses that time to pack a whole lot of metal into one song. It starts slowly, with singing and clean picked guitar. Over the course of the song, there is plenty of mid-tempo melody and shredding solos. Overall, Numen is less technical than Liquid Anatomy but probably more accessible. Regardless, it is an enjoyable tour de force of extreme metal with no rules, and I have no doubt that it will end up on my best of the year list come December.
(4.5 / 5)
