UMUR
"Abdication Of The Mind" is the first demo recording by US, death metal act Warp Chamber. The demo was independently released in December 2018. Warp Chamber formed in 2016 and this two-track demo was the ticket to them being signed to Profound Lore Records for the release of their debut full-length studio album "Implements Of Excruciation", which was released in March 2020. Both tracks from the demo would be re-recorded and included on "Implements Of Excruciation"
Stylistically this is death metal greatly influenced by the late 80s/early 90s US death metal scene and it´s artists like early Suffocation, Incantation, and Morbid Angel, who come to mind while listening to "Abdication Of The Mind". So while this is certainly old school death metal to the bone, there are also some brutal thrashy sections, which are great for the variation of the demo. The tracks feature many twists and turns and they aren´t easily accessible material, but the complex structures of the tracks only add to the gloomy mystery of the release. Both are pretty long tracks (6:38 and 9:08 minutes long respectively).
Warp Chamber is a well playing band and they deliver their music with tight precision, but also the right amount of raw and gloomy authenticity. The growling vocals are placed a bit low in the soundscape and although they get the job done, I think they could have made more impact in the music if they have been mixed a little higher.
"Abdication Of The Mind" features a sound production which many late 80s/early 90s death metal bands could only dream of having on their demos. It´s raw, unpolished, and sometimes close to chaotic sounding, but it´s arguably a professional and very well sounding production, considering that this is a demo release. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.