Review by Adam M on September 8, 2016.

Blood Incantation performs a brutal form of death metal. There is a lot of emphasis placed upon the harsh guitar riffs present here. However, the punishing drum performance also kindles the spirit. The entirety of the music is brutal, yet thoughtful.

One would wish that the band would elevate themselves above a sort of gurgly sound, but that’s what we’re provided with on this release. Still, the song-writing is solid and pushes the band to the forefront of death metal. There is a vicious side to this release, but also an adventurous one, which makes the band more multi-dimensional then some other death metal releases. The band is able to craft longer songs that make use of many different song styles. They are able to craft an imposing atmosphere through the use of different strategies to make them sound as moody as possible. The production is adequate, but not perfect for the style and adds a lot to the sinister surroundings. The music is malevolent and difficult to find a comparison point with another band. The adventurous aspects of the band are similar to The Chasm, but this band has a more brutal side that is explored greatly throughout the length of this release. The combination of several disparate elements is what makes this a successful death metal release. Still, there could be better production values and more pristine playing than what is to be found here. The song-writing is the element that prevents this from dropping to lower territories, however. There are enough shifts and momentum changes in the songs that things remain compelling throughout. The songs are also pummeling enough that there is a sense of variety maintained on the disc.

Overall, Starspawn is a versatile and interesting death metal disc that brings chops to a greatly thoughtful overall approach. It comes recommended to fans of the genre.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10