BLOTTED SCIENCE

I am shocked and awed with what BLOTTED SCIENCE has done here. Rather than releasing an EP of material that sounds like left leftovers from 2007's "The Machinations of Dementia" or that pushes the envelope without regard to accessibility, BLOTTED SCIENCE have crafted four tracks of elevated composition on "The Animation of Entomology" that moves the band into new territories whilst retaining its core of technical wizardry and progressive extremity.

Main man and guitarist Ron Jarzombek (WATCHTOWER, TERRESTRIAL EXILED, SPASTIC INK),bassist Alex Webster (CANNIBAL CORPSE),and drummer Hannes Grossman (OBSCURA, TERRESTIAL EXILED) continue to dazzle the ears with calculated rhythmic calamity, a brilliant display of guitar acrobatics, and monstrous bass playing. This time the light parts, keyboard/atmospheric effects, and jazz flourishes reinforce the melodic game raising. In doing so the group pushes further the already improved sense of melody on these marvelous instrumental cuts. The EP's tour de force is nine-minute multi-part song "A Sting Operation" and it is nothing short of epic. Moments of pure crush collide with great melodies as the trio unveils a host of new musical adventures that move in a manner most cohesive, so much so that one pays virtually no attention to running time. The deliciously chunky riffs and staccato runs blend seamlessly with melody lines that bleed classiness and passion on "Vermicular Asphyxiation". On "Cretaceous Chasm" the methods employed bring results of a downright rockin' variety, at least in a progressive extreme metal sense, while moments of bright contrast make an enormous impact. "Ingested Blattaria" stimulates the senses on several levels in its six minutes.

It is just plain incredible what BLOTTED SCIENCE have accomplished with this album. Very few technical metal bands — much less instrumental ones — have been able to bridge the gap between musical complexity and song-centricity with such stunning success. Who would have thought that an album inspired by insect society would be so arresting from the standpoint of average listener enjoyment and so fantastic in compositionally complex terms?

"The Animation of Entomology" is a mind-blower. It is a treat to even non-technical ears, owing to the achievement of a whole new level of gripping arrangement. Compared to some more dense and difficult-to-digest instrumental affairs, "The Animation of Entomology" is 25 minutes of progressive music that any fan of technical metal will have no qualms about returning to again and again. It's never too much and it's never enough. It's not that I expected to be disappointed with BLOTTED SCIENCE's new release; I just didn't expect it to be such an amazing album on so many levels.