Review by chrisc7249 on April 19, 2022.

Let the games begin!

Singularity and The Artisan Era are a match made in heaven; I mean, blackened melodic tech death with symphonic elements? Sign me the fuck up. We're at the stage now where technical death metal simply isn't enough and now we need to mix it with black metal to make it even more inaccessible, and I'm all for it. I'm still surprised at the fact that I don't get tired of this kind of music, but hey, you like what you like I guess. This has been on my rotation since it was released in 2019 and the more I listen to it, the more I want more of it.

I must admit, in the beginning, I wasn't too keen on this album. I thought it was quite boring after the first few listens, but as time went on, I realized just how goddamn catchy and infectious this album is. I've never heard of an album, let alone a technical death metal album, where every single song is memorable in at least some regard. I can't tell you how many times I've listened to an album front to back 15, 20, sometimes even 30 times and there are still songs I forget about completely. Not this one. Every song on here is unique, intriguing and memorable and that's all I could ask for in my music. It's mainly within Singularity's ability to create amazing melodic hooks that reel you in and get stuck in your head all day. Pair this with sick riffing and fun vocal deliveries and you've got yourself a package worth revisiting again and again.

This isn't the most intense of albums or technically impressive by any means. The musicianship is flashy and certainly top class, but don't expect anything you would get from typical tech death bands like Spawn Of Possession or Archspire. It's more of a melodic death metal album with technical and blackened elements, focusing more on groove and memorability as opposed to flashiness. Of course it's heavy, it's an extreme metal album, but it also isn't going to crush your cerebrum with a mass of thunderous riffs that weigh a ton.

Don't take any of that as a negative impression of the album - I really enjoy this record, pretty much from front to back. I'm excited for the future of this band and I believe they can achieve a lot more as they continue to develop. This is tech death for people who may be turned away by fretboard masturbation and care about music with a sense of melody and direction.

FFO: Obscura, Enfold Darkness, Inferi

Favorite song: Consume and Assume

Rating: 9 out of 10