Band – The Scalar Process
Album – Coagulative Matter
Country of Origin – France
Genre – Technical Death Metal
Release Date – February 19, 2021
Label – Transcending Obscurity Records
Author – Hayduke X
It is our immense pleasure today to share with you the video for Cosmic Flow, the second track from Coagulative Matter by The Scalar Process. The track, like much of the album, is tough! The Scalar Process is definitely technical death metal, but it’s as if tech death went to the gym, studied martial arts, and learned bomb making, all to better seek revenge on their high school bully. Take a listen for yourself, then drop below the video to read my full review.
My typical response when I open a new promo email to discover tech death, is a deep sigh, an eye roll, and thoughts along the lines of, “oh boy, here we go with more pointless wankery.” I then proceed to listen to at least some of the promo for a couple of reasons: 1) I’m committed to giving everything I receive a fair shake – if you send it, I will listen…to at least a sampling of it; 2) Every now and then I’m surprised to find an album where the band also clearly understands such things at composition and atmosphere. The Scalar Process, a new band from France, clearly fall into this latter category.
Coagulative Matter certainly has its share of technical wizardry. The musicians show us some serious chops. Thankfully, none of it is pointless. The trio uses technicality in greater quantities than most of what I listen to, but they do so in a measured way, a way that fulfills a higher purpose in the greater musical journey. The band includes progressive song structures and brutal elements as well, making this a well rounded death metal release. I’m pretty sure that I even heard some tremolo picking in there (which we all know I love). Through the use of these, and other tools, the band have created a cohesive album, full of atmosphere, dark with dissonance in some parts, and bright with bell like tones in others. Like all great albums, Coagulative Matter is a journey.
Perhaps what’s most impressive is that the French band is a trio. Eloi Nicod is credited with guitars and composition. Mathieu Lefevre handles the vocals, which are pretty coherent growls that sometimes morph into yells. Clement Denys handles the complexity of the drumming on the album. There are a handful of others who receive guest credit, but none of the track we’re premiering today.
As I scan back over what I’ve written, I realize I might be giving the impression that this is a good album…for a technical death metal band. I want to clarify that this album excels, period! Coagulative Matter holds its own across genres. It’s dynamic in rhythm, pacing, atmosphere, and playing style, and most importantly, it’s a cohesive listen that draws you in and keeps you there. The Scalar Process have set a high bar from the very start with this album. Here’s hoping that their trajectory continues upward.
The album and other merch (which is always beyond top notch from this label) can be ordered at the Bandcamp or Transcending Obscurity Store.
Biography: Hayduke X has been writing for MoshPitNation since June of 2016. He is also a contributor to The Metal Wanderlust. Prior to joining the MoshPitNation team, Hayduke published reviews on his own blog Rage and Frustration. In addition, he has DJ’ed an online metal radio show of the same name as his blog, written for TOmetal.com, done interviews for Metal Rules, and collaborated with The Art of B Productions to create video interviews with a wide variety of bands.
