Review: “In Light, No Shape” by Cognizance
“This record is a defining milestone for us. Taking on vocals has pushed us to re-engineer how we experiment with the blend of elements in our sound, unlocking new creative pathways to compliment the core identity of the band. What you will hear are four dudes all adding their flavours to the melting pot to create a body of work that felt completely natural to us.” ~ Alex Baillie
After eleven years as the voice of Leeds Progressive Death Metal act Cognizance the 2023 departure of founding vocalist Henry “Big Mac” Pryce left guitarist Alex Baille (Soulfracture), drummer David Diepold (Amon Din, Obscura), bassist Chris Binns (Liber Necris, Krokodil) and guitarist Paul Yage (Con Artist, Iregress) with big shoes to fill. As if finding a suitable replacement wasn’t already challenging enough, Pryce had departed on a high, the bands critically acclaimed third album “Phantazein” a monstrous record of gargantuan proportions. Rather than an extensive search however the band decided to take the same route as the likes of Evile or Sylosis and promote from within, mastermind Baille adding lead vocals where he’d previously handled backing vocals. Adorned by artwork from Jef Whitehead (Nails, Leviathan) and having been mixed and mastered by Ronnie Björnström (Aeon, Blood Red Throne) their fourth album is “In Light, No Shape”.
A haunting melody introduces “Transient Fixations” gently before Austrian drummer Diepold begins the transition, his impressive kit work with Cognizance the reason he spent four years in Obscura. It’s forty five seconds before we get introduced to the voice of Baillie, his fierce death growls leaving an impression akin to a white hot branding iron on flesh over the rampaging riffs. While the tune maybe less than three minutes, it makes a serious impact with the bands trademark progressive elements bubbling to the surface nicely. “Inflection Chants” then continues the narrative with scalding barked vocals over proficient, intricate guitar work, the melodic solo a sublime moment of majesty between the sonic abrasions.
If there was any fat on the bones of “Phantazein“, it’s been trimmed as the band refine and redefine their sound in sonic evolution, these cuts feeling shorter and sharper than the bands previous offerings even if in reality there isn’t that much in it. The haunting melancholic sounds resurface underneath the technical riffs of “A Game of Proliferation“, the thunderous rhythms swirling around the dark and malevolent thoughts that Baillie verbalises. A face melting solo in the final third is another incredible moment, a shaft of light through the enveloping darkness.
Baillie stares into the void as the quartet cut loose and with the ravenous “Chasm“, the frantic and frenetic fretboard smouldering matched stride for stride by Diepold’s sublime percussive genius. The balance between the melodic and the heavy rests on a knife edge with moments of forlorn intricacy making way for razor sharp ones. There are points where Baillie’s vocals are even more brutal with “Vertical Illusion” a fine example, the shifting dynamics and tight musicianship making sure that there is plenty of style to that fierce substance. Make no mistake, Cognizance have lost absolutely none of the fire that they had when they first appeared with “Inquisition” back in 2013, the sheer intensity of this album offering plenty of evidence in that regard.
Taking old school ideas and elevating them to a new realm of existence means that “Subterranean Incantation” has an almost instant appeal in familiarity about it, the spine juddering moments of the mid section taking a leaf from the Meshuggah playbook where influences from the likes of Death and perhaps even Extol are evident elsewhere. “Induced Contortions” then has a glorious funky bass line from Binns that gives the track a more rounded sound, the track flowing in tsunami like waves of monumental power and the musicianship reaching orchestral levels of technicality. The final brush strokes on this Picasso like masterpiece come with the monstrous “The Zone“, a track which oozes poise and power that could have just as easily been the opening cut. Just when you thought Cognizance might take a moment to realign themselves following the departure of Henry “Big Mac” Pryce, they go and unleash a beast of a record and don’t miss a beat [9/10]
Track Listing
“In Light, No Shape” by Cognizance is out 1st May 2026 via Willowtip Records and is available over at bandcamp
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