16th November 2022

Review: “Descendant” by A Titan A Deity

After their performance at Tech-Fest earlier this summer the sophomore EP from A Titan A Deity took on a whole new meaning, leaping from something of interest into the highly anticipated category, such is the strength of the bands live performances. The quintet have been ploughing a furrow in the UK Underground Metal scene since 2016 with 2018’s “Animate / Redefine” half an hour of power that announced the band on the scene like a Molotov cocktail. That opened the doors (and windows) of opportunity for shows with The Contortionist, Loathe and Novelists to name but a few…

We’ll set aside the rights and wrongs of the waterfall release strategy for another time and instead focus on the work of A Titan A Deity on “Descendant” as a whole. Classic Progressive Metalcore riffs bring in “Io” as the band combine rich melodies with bounce and aggression to create a seamless sound that follows in the footsteps of Carcer City but with extremes that have been pushed out further. Flowing like a wave, it makes for a powerful statement piece of an opening cut that sets a high bar for the rest of the record as all good opening cuts should do so it’s nice to see the band read that script correctly. Fortunately, while the band followed a waterfall release strategy, it sounds like “Descendant” was written and recorded in the same sessions rather than in separate ones, with “Revelations” a conjoined twin that matches the power and passion of the opener with riffs rising to crescendos of breakdown moments. The unclean vocals are harsh but not devastating while the cleans give everything a raw and emotive quality that is truly captivating. Having found the sound they are looking for and their stride, “Bleak” sticks to task, pouring more into the melting pot, enhancing the programming and adding intricate moments alongside wave after wave of DJent fuelled groove. The cohesion between the cuts is there for all to bare witness to and these cuts are best enjoyed as a single entity as the EP because of that. Another raw and emotive track with stunning clean vocals “Heirloom” again making great use of the programming to augment the sound while having vibrant leads broken by crushing rhythmic pummelling. Those spine juddering riffs continue into powerhouse that is “Oxygen” as the band focus on creating something that will set off mosh pits before an ambient break allows the final breakdown and verse section to slap hard with bomb blasts of controlled aggression. All in all “Descendant” is a firm reminder of just how strong the United Kingdom Underground Metal scene is as well as how close A Titan A Deity are to breaking out of it and into the World of full time musicianship… [8/10]

Track Listing