Akeldama

I was seriously surprised by this album. At sometimes, it can be intensely brutal, and the next, it can be menacing and evil sounding, and all sorts of catchy in-between.

I'd say they're fairly close to Black Dahlia Murder in sound, but with dashes of technicality thrown in. That Black Dahlia-esque sound must come from the variety of vocal-styles thrown in. They have growls, screeches, and even (in some cases), some falsettos (done in good taste, I may add).

The melodies, especially on my favorite track 'Pestilence' are quite catchy! Time changes galore, but not obnoxious. Also, the inclusion of a keyboard is quite unusual for this genre but is done quite tastefully. Although I'm not a big one for keyboarding, I think they pull off a unique sound/style while maintaining the brutalness of the genre's standards (it sounds, on a few of the songs, as though they're using more natural sounds and less cheese-techno synths).

I think this is probably one of the most promising American tech-death bands out there right now. Definitely worth a check-out if you're into tech-death or Black Dahlia Murder.