Assimilation – Apotheosis

From the Western end of Canada comes “Apotheosis”, the debut EP from death metal band Assimilation. This release takes considerable influence from old-school death metal, with particular nods to some of the heavier, slower Morbid Angel songs at times (such as on the title track), as well as references to thrashier bands at other times. This latter sound is evidenced by the riffing style and the guitar tone, which tend to lean more towards the sharp, buzzing riffs of thrash. In direct contrast to both styles are the guitar solos, which present a more balanced, melodic approach. Though they don’t sound out of place, these solos definitely provide variation amidst a release that is otherwise dominated by the low-end.

The vocals on this release are one of the better examples in the subgenre. Again, Morbid Angel proves to be somewhat of a good comparison, as Assimilation’s vocalist is able to capture that ghastly, ghoulish sound so well. His voice has a bit more low-end though, with the ability to hit higher notes as needed. In general, he tends to complement the musical madness that surrounds him, as the band utilizes double bass, tremolo-picking, sweeping, and a variety of other techniques as required. No particular sound is abused, but none is capitalized on either. While “Apotheosis” is technically proficient, its songs don’t have the catchiness of tracks like “Evil Spells” or “Where The Slime Live”. Assimilation does have a ton of great riffs, and if they can amp up the memorability and quality of songwriting a little bit, it would not be a surprise to see them sign to a legendary label like Dark Descent Records or FDA Rekotz anytime soon.

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Highlights

All of it

Final Rating

3.7/5 or 74%. 

Written by Scott