Review: “None Shall Prevail” by Shodan

Known for blending brutality with progressive song structures and ice cold aesthetics as well as lyrics of Nihilism, Society and Psychology, Death Metal trio Shodan have been climbing the mountain to Valhalla for a decade having been conceived in Wrocław, Poland in 2013. In their time they have sharpened their blades with a two well received albums in 2015’s “Protocol of Dying” and 2020 follow up “Death, Rule Over Us“, leading to the band sharing stages with Rotting Christ, Hate and Blood Incantation to name but three. But guitarist vocalist Szczepan Inglot (ex-Banisher, ex-Maigra, ex-Extinct Gods), drummer Michał Jarosz (ex-Extinct Gods, ex-Into the Nightmare, ex-Heap of Ashes) and bassist vocalist Tomasz Sadlak (Hate) are not ones for sitting on their laurels and reliving former glories. Instead, the have returned to producer Arkadiusz “Malta” Malczewski (Behemoth, Decapitated), who helped them bring life to their debut record and together they have built on the foundation of gold and bones. Mastered by Kohlekeller Studios (Powerwolf, Benighted), they have created with “None Shall Prevail“…

For those unfamiliar Shodan is a reference to the fictional artificial intelligence and the main antagonist of the System Shock video games with Shodan standing for “Sentient Hyper-Optimized Data Access Network“, although if you imagined the band would have any industrial leanings as a result of that, the answer is negative. Instead the trio prefer to bludgeon the listener to death with a sinister, menacing riffs accompanied by extinction level percussive pummelling as opening cut “Tamed In Unison” demonstrates. A powerhouse cut that flirts with dark melody in between bursts of aggression, it has a solo that catches off guard with technical flamboyance before dying with the dull ache of feedback. The journey down the left hand path with an evil grin continues with “Despair Snares” which coils around the throat like a boa constrictor waiting to squeeze, some of the melancholic meandering moments are surprisingly reminiscent of ideas that American Metalcore act Twelve Tribes had to offer with 2004’s “The Rebirth Of Tragedy“, while having a far more vindictive bite. “Demortality” shakes the tree with darker grooves and some Black Metal inspired fills that perhaps suggest that Shodan are moving in a more avant-garde direction, the chanted vocal moments having a tribal quality to them but it’s the razor sharp riffs of “Ethos” that grabs the attention. Bursting into a solo before the first verse, the cut drives down the darkness with a bassline that looms large in the mix, the verve and swagger of the guitars confirms the bands place in the hierarchy is well deserved before a cleverly worked haunting melody plays it out in the final moments.

That allows the mid record cut “Staring Back at The Abyss” to hit that much harder, the first of the face melting solos from Inglot the finest on the album. The second has more of a Thrash influence which is a curiosity shrouded in darkness especially with the gang chanted song title. The biggest surprise of the record is arguably the cinematic “Lords“, which offers up rich, dark melody with screamed vocals against a backdrop of marching drum patterns as if Inglot is being paraded through the streets, carried to his death at the gallows by an army at war. It makes for the perfect interlude to “Nicość Wiekuista” (or “Eternal Nothingness“), a turbulent blast of Death Thrash aggression that stirs the soul with its intricacies before putting the hammer down in the final onslaught in Slayer like style. Inglot’s throat splitting uncleans reach a whole new level for “Nighttime Violators“, perfectly in keeping with the schizophrenic lyrical narrative about silent whispers that invade the mind at night. The guitars hit like punches from a prize fighter, the sheer power of the tidal wave of aggression the band create to be underestimated at the would be listeners peril as evil this good doesn’t come along too often. After such a magnificent nightmare, the title track has a lot to live up to as the grand finale and “None Shall Prevail” doesn’t disappoint with another ripper of a solo at its heart. Rather than trudging through Death Metal staples, Shodan express themselves with a stylish Groove Death Thrash magnum opus that is disgustingly refreshing, never afraid to change the game to suit their mood [7.5/10]

Track Listing

1. Tamed in unison
2. Despair Snares
3. Demortality
4. Ethos
5. Staring Back at The Abyss
6. Lords
7. Nicość Wiekuista
8. Nighttime Violators
9. None Shall Prevail

“None Shall Prevail” by Shodan is out 5th May 2023 via Time To Kill Records with pre-orders available over at bandcamp.