Three albums in sees Italy based melodic death stars Subliminal Fear return from their self-imposed exile with a fresh set of eyes. Their third and newest addition called Escape From Leviathan has assimilated cyber culture into their collective influence to produce a frightful monster contained in an amalgamation of death metal musings and cybernetic synths augmenting their melodic zeal to blossom with contact sparks upon listening.
The album features the original line-up with a couple of new additions and a few good guests – Matteo De Bellis of Golem joins Subliminal Fear to provide a contrast of violent choruses with Carmine Cristallo. The effect: adding texture to the interchange between the two impassioned vocalists, and with new talent Ruggiero Scassano steering the machine on drums the percussion is tighter than Ivana Trump’s face and just as racy. Additionally with Guillaume Bideau of Mnemic and One-Way Mirror, Lawrence Mackrory of Darkane, and Jon Howard of Threat Signal and Arkaea guesting on Escape From Leviathan, the richness in sound on the album is performed with deferential acuity.
Escape From Leviathan is a journey through a dystopic futuristic society where pretentious culture fascists have imposed their utopian ideals of peace to control a confused and meandering public. Subliminal Fear sow the seeds of dissidence to usurp this tyrannical regime, but will we heed to the prophets of a different world. When I say no, you say ‘survival.’
8/10
