Hardly the riff soup it could have been, the album's busier moments retain just enough constructive reason to hold proceedings together, no matter how scattershot the riff delivery becomes. Each and every song is a trenchant entanglement of murky grooves and bristling tremolos. Beyond the Unknown as a collective effort is worthy of praise, as is the fact that it is laid out in a very digestible manner, perfectly suited for the occult-laden climes the music delivers. The brothers Howard make a fine showing for only two individuals, and Francis rolls out fluid, cryptic and unforgiving riffs of extremely high order without cessation.
The rationing of riffs screams more death metal to my ears, so comparisons to Demolition Hammer, Energetic Krusher and the like aren't necessarily as precise as the final product may suggest. Enter Louisiana's Incubus, who dropped a couple of true thrash/death juggernauts in the late '80s, their debut even predating the venerable Altars of Madness! Beyond the Unknown is the second, and by a margin more impressive of these two albums and while I have personally witnessed some confusion between this act and the Florida/Georgia haven for displaced Morbid Angel members (Rest in peace, SVS), this Incubus is the one you want in your corner.įor the sake of coherency, one can conceivably dissect this album based on the tropes it pulls from each extreme. Without knowing the state of mind the musicians were in at the time of recording, one can only guess as to whether or not there was a conscious effort to blaze altogether new trails, or simply continue pushing thrash's boundaries, which had honestly already reached critical mass.
The well-traveled crossroads intersecting thrash metal and early (early) death metal is one of many blurred lines and instances of conjecture.
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