Victims Of Contagion |Egregore |Independent

Victims Of Contagion formed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 2007, developing their technical death metal style through years of live performances and independent demo releases. Their discography includes the 2014 EP "Parasitic Unborn" and the 2019 full-length "Lamentations Of The Flesh Bound", released through Satanath Records. The band features Chuck Forsythe (guitar), Chris Edison (vocals), Mike Rush (drums), Robert Geisler (bass) and Anthony Zello (guitar). Previous collaborations have included Bobby Koelble of Death, Michael Keene of The Faceless and Phil Tougas of First Fragment. Their second full-length, "Egregore", also features an ex-Megadeth guitarist on "Forced March".

"Egregore" contains seven tracks of highly technical death metal, combining rapid riff changes, intricate guitar arrangements, polyrhythmic sections and relentless drumming. The production is detailed and powerful, allowing the numerous instrumental layers to remain present throughout the demanding arrangements. Tracks such as "The Anointed", "Ignoble Sin, The Searing Pain Of Introspection" and "Saturn (The Usurper)" demonstrate the album's extensive use of shifting tempos, neoclassical guitar work and dissonant passages.

"Forced March" adds a guest appearance that further expands the album's guitar work, while the lyrical concept continues the exploration of Greek and Roman mythology, incorporating philosophical themes and tragic mythological figures. The songwriting is ambitious and technically demanding, with frequent changes that occasionally make the material difficult to follow. "Egregore" presents an intense form of progressive technical death metal, with considerable attention given to instrumental detail and arrangement.

|7.5