Orbweaver — Strange Transmissions from the Neuralnomicon

The fun and inventive debut of Floridan death metallers, Orbweaver, has been reissued on vinyl by Corpse Flower Records. Originally released in 2013 and available on tape and CD, this reissue has been remastered by James Plotkin, and is limited to 300 colorful editions. Featuring Randy Piro (ex-Gigan & Hate Eternal) and Sally Gates (ex-Gigan), the band definitely has some scene cred. Although they haven't released anything since this debut, the band is still active and Strange Transmissions From the Neuralnomicon is still garnering a lot of praise.

Clocking in at just about a half an hour, this EP wastes no time getting into business, and never overstays its welcome. Starting off with "Xoxotic," Strange Transmissions drop a head nodding groove along side high flying guitars. The low bass plays in time with the tight drum work, and scathing vocals complete the scene. Orbweaver uses this opening track to build atmosphere and show off their chops instead of going for a complete blast attack. "Those of Non-Being" continues the interesting death exploration. Frenetic and fast, but interspersed with drifting space pieces, this track shows a creative, talented band at the top of their game. Closing out the first side is "Crystal Prisms." Expanding on the experimental nature of the previous tracks, Orbweaver showcases their talent for both speed and slow breakdowns. Their ability to get low, weird, and spacey is matched by their sheer, blinding brutality. Side two has two longer, more experimental songs. The instrumental, "Tragic Orbit (A Doomed, Cosmic Starship)," is sparseness punctuated by writhing riffs and blistering percussion. The final third gets pretty out there and reminds me of El Paso's The Fold. Delightful stuff. Closing out the side and EP is "The Church Warden Procedure." Building and expanding on all that has come before, Orbweaver flexes its creative and talented muscle and loads up a track full of enough time and tempo changes to please even the staunchest Atheist fan. Their mix of clever, proggy death along with classic, blasting death is an awesome way to end an awesome album.

On the surface, some bands look to be goofy, one-trick ponies. I was nervous when I saw the album art and title of this EP. Fortunately, I couldn't have been more wrong. Strange Transmissions From the Neuralnomicon is clever, engaging, and really well played. This one comes highly recommended to all fans of death metal and anyone seeking something a tad different. You won't be disappointed.