8 Mar 2016

Sphere: "Homo Hereticus"


Talent is their tool of trade, brutality their instrument
You can never judge a band - or an album for that matter - from just one track. Especially not an album opener. However great the excitement conveyed by the opening track "Forever Sworn to Blasphemy" may be, and no matter how much enthusiasm that same track induces in the listener, Sphere from Poland could, until we examine the rest of "Homo Hereticus", for all we know be but a one-trick pony.

"The original notion proposed by the opening track that Sphere are a world-class death metal act capable of toppling thrones and overthrowing kings holds water."

But upon further inspection, everything checks out. The original notion proposed by the opening track that Sphere are a world-class death metal act capable of toppling thrones and overthrowing kings holds water. The band's second full length album is everything a modern death metal band should aspire to be, having adopted equal amounts of technical elements, brutal song structure and slighty melodic interludes to bind it all together. They definitely aren't about to let their music become stale or monotonous, and the entire album as a whole overflows with hateful zeal and defiance against authority. Sphere present themselves as a band that is both tight and faithful to the old gods of the genre while still breaking the mold and approaching tradition in a new way.

Sphere have many strengths and few weaknesses. The way they seamlessly switch back and forth between aggressive and thrashy down-picked riffs and intricately thought out technical riffs lends their compositions flow and their style stamina on the long run. The drummer, Th0rn, is great at varying his speed, fitting perfectly with the lingering bass and the demonic lead vocals. They're constantly borderlining some other rendition of death metal, turning from tumultuous roars to thin lines of insane cacophony in one smooth continuation.

Usually a few tracks will stand out, and favourites will be found. But Sphere make this phase of the album listening process difficult, because their 2012 album is just so well put together. Every track adds its own touch to the overall picture, making "Homo Hereticus" a roiling magnum opus.

9/10


Released in 2012 by Masterful Records

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