Going back a month or so when I was reviewing some new artists from Canonical Hours including Withershin and The Day of the Beast, I was also presented with a third album, Steps of Descent, from Cyaegha. The first two bands I wrote about were so outwardly great, that the words flowed quite easily, however, with Cyaegha, its become a mixed back of reactions. When I initially listened to this CD upon first receiving it, I thought it was great alongside its peers, but since then whenever I put this album on, I am not so confident in my original opinion, which leaves only two courses of action: beat up a middle schooler and order them to make the decision for me, or, take the more technical route and weigh the pros and cons…I guess I’ll be nice.

First, the positives. Steps of Descent is a technical death metal album without going over the top like so many bands do with arpeggios and squeals coming every which way out of the woodwork, which makes it easier to dig down and find material that has staying power. Bands like Napalm Death, Deicide and Immolation have gained critical acclaim because there is substance behind their technicality, and this factor is what initially drew me to Steps of Descent. However, what initially drew me in,  has begun to turn me off. Cyaegha is a band that seems to take pride in not running with the deathcore crowd, and I am happy as well that they did not take their band on that route, unfortunately, this can also lead to stagnancy. By picking up where others left off, Cyaegha is really doing nothing to progress the sound, or even make the sound their own. Steps of Descent is a relative paint by numbers record, and it’s hard to absorb its entire running time without becoming a little bored.

Still though, what brought me into this album to begin with has not vanished. Steps of Descent is a tight, aggressive album that would be killer to see played live, and this fact makes it a worthy addition to my collection for the simple reason that death metal fans can never have too much technical death metal in their collection. This is a decent effort, I just hope Cyaegha matures a bit more on their next release, and doesn’t get into the rut of releasing the same material over and over again.

GOOD

Top Tracks: While Sarnath Lies Desolate, Ulthar’s Decree

Similar Artists: Deicide, Origin, Immolation, Cryptopsy, Krisiun

1.    Ulthar’s Decree    03:45
2.    Mask in Flesh    04:20
3.    While Sarnath Lies Desolate    03:38
4.    From the Depths    04:33
5.    Obduction Sapientia    02:11
6.    Epiphany of R’lyeh    03:45
7.    Postmortem Enlightenment    03:18
8.    Logos Immolated    03:48
9.    Fuck-Start My Dinner    02:56

Steve – Guitars
Cooley – Vocals
Tweed – Bass
Wells – Drums

Canonical Hours

http://www.cyaeghamusic.com/

http://www.myspace.com/cyaegha

Review by CODY