Coexistence
Collateral Dimension

I wrote about a project called Coexistence earlier, twice actually. It was a progressive project, and not anywhere near what this Italian quartet is doing. This is their debut album; they had an EP in 2018 and since then they have taken leaps forwards according to the press material. The cover art they have for their debut album Collateral Dimension is excellent, and if that is any indication this album is a treat.

Musically they belong in the technical death metal genre, pretty much textbook for that genre I think. The songs are performed with controlled aggression and there is pretty much depth and variation there so you will notice some different new elements each time you play it. Still, it doesn’t really stand out in terms of style, the vocals are pretty ordinary and while there are ideas in the songs the overriding feeling of the album is that it is an album pretty much withing the boundaries of the genre and not one that gives an impression of novelty or freshness.

Collateral Dimension is a good album, the songs are fine, and the negative aspects are few and doesn’t do much for the whole picture. The craftsmanship is excellent, and they are doing high-quality music but I am missing that outstanding song, those things that really draws me towards the album. I can’t say that I am gravitating towards what Coexistence has to offer, it is not because they are poor, they just aren’t outstanding enough to grab my interest. I don’t doubt that fans of the technical death metal will be awed by this, most music fans seem fine with endless repetition, but I like my stuff novel and fresh and I don’t think Coexistence fulfils that criteria.

If you are a fan of the genre you should check this out, there is a high likelihood that you will like it. Coexistence have put together a really strong debut album that will be liked by most, especially those into the death metal music, but I wouldn’t say that they have made a classic. A good debut album, absolutely but there are unfulfilled promises here and I hope they dare to let go of conventions more the next time and exploit the possibilities of the sci-fi thematic they use in their songs – there is more potential here and perhaps getting the debut out of the way will let the band try to exploit those possibilities in a braver manner. I like the album but will probably not play it again now that I have written this review, it isn’t exciting enough to be an album I am likely to select to play when it is not part of the work.

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