Will there be a moment in the evolution of death metal when the genre becomes too fast, too technical, and far more like brutal automatons competing in an Olympic event than anything resembling rock ‘n’ roll? The jury is out on that one, but CYTOTOXIN are cheerfully testing the boundaries of avowedly extreme, super-technical death metal regardless. These self-proclaimed purveyors work hard to live up their name. A cytotoxin is a substance that, the Internet tells me, has “a toxic effect on an important cellular function, such as venom or a chemical agent”. Listening to “Biographyte” will probably not have a deleterious effect on anyone’s general state of health, but utter bewilderment and a mild-to-middling concussion are the least that people can expect when they let this mind-blowing blizzard of precise violence wash over them. Absolutely not for the faint-hearted, CYTOTOXIN will definitely fuck you up.
Unlike many bands that operate at this end of the brutality spectrum, CYTOTOXIN are not entirely bereft of authentic songwriting ideas. An obvious comparison would be ARCHSPIRE: a band that are largely unparalleled when it comes to insane technicality, but also a band that know how to write memorable (if somewhat injurious) songs. On “Biographyte”, CYTOTOXIN demonstrate a similar flair for wringing personality and intrigue from material that frequently sounds like artillery gone berserk. Still conceptually tethered to Chernobyl, and that whole pesky nuclear disaster thing, these are songs that aim to generate atmosphere through sheer relentlessness, and a sardonic perspective of mankind’s greatest follies. As a result, “Biographyte” is already smarter than the average brutal death metal record, but hidden depths are not restricted to lyrics or concept. As showcased on the opening “Hope Terminator”, CYTOTOXIN‘s futuristic hybrid harnesses everything from feral blasts and obnoxiously fast and precise guitar work to pendulous, post-djent grooves and pulverizing, staccato breakdowns that, weirdly, are as accessible as they are punishing.
Deviant melodies are threaded through many of these songs, and the unlikely contrast between machine-like extremity and dark, devilish hooks is genuinely startling. “Condemnesia” is as unstoppable as a fleet of runaway juggernauts, but it sings a moody, dissonant tune amidst the chaos, adding layers of grim atmosphere, each one unnaturally iridescent from persistent rolling waves of post-fallout radiation. Meanwhile, “Eventless Horizon” is an ornate death metal colossus that extends its predatory tentacles over six visceral minutes, navigating through ghost choirs and gasp-inducing changes of pace along the way. Mystical interludes “Dreadzone Desert” and “Revelation” aside, the only slight curveball here is the closing “From Bitter Rivers”, which begins with CYTOTOXIN‘s usual ferocity and verve, but becomes increasingly haughty and grandiose, decimating all-comers with choking swarms of light-speed kick-drums and frosty, black-hearted guitar motifs. Like everything else here, it is strategically designed to take the breath away; stealthily, if possible, but otherwise with as much aggression as is required. “Biographyte” is one hell of an onslaught.
Source: blabbermouth.net
