Review: “New World” by Heteromorphic Zoo

“A coalition of monsters arrives to conquer a new realm. 5 vignettes told from the perspective of their enemies, their champions, and their overlord provide a glimpse into the consequences of this incursion. Musically, New World embodies the diversity of the inhuman monsters it celebrates, drawing inspiration from melodic death metal, deathcore and metalcore, all delivered with a progressive and neoclassical flair.” ~ Heteromorphic Zoo

Describing themselves as an collective who make worship music for monsters in Modern Extreme Metal drawing strength from all corners of the genre, Heteromorphic Zoo make for an interesting prospect. For those not in the know, the word “Heteromorphic” means “occurring in two or more different forms“, a direct reference to the split personality of the kind of monsters of all kinds, from fantasy, mythology or horror that conceptually the band glorify. Adorned by artwork from Lordigan Pedro Sena, produced by Chris Wiseman (Shadow Of Intent, Currents), mixed and mastered by Christian Donaldson (Cryptopsy, Suffocation, Osiah) their debut record is titled “New World” and with such big names comes big promise. But that’s not the only intriguing prospect as the group feature in their ranks Shadow of Intent drummer Bryce Butler and violinist Megan Ash, the group rounded out by vocalist Coty Garcia and guitarist Ray Heberer. Live bassist Jon Power may yet be indoctrinated into the unsigned outfit and then their are the guest appearances…

Regardless of whether or not you consider Heteromorphic Zoo some kind of Shadow Of Intent side project or not, which given the number of musicians involved in both seems logical, you need to go into listening to “New World” with an open mind. If you look at the small print, the music and lyrics are actually written by guitarist and bassist Ray Heberer. Interestingly the band take the path less travelled, waving away the opportunity for an epic introduction piece and bringing in the harsh uncleans from Garcia after 1 solitary second as “Ritual of Fidelity” takes shape. That has the effect of giving the track a real urgency as the band play with polyrhythms, the violin almost taking the place of the lead guitar is their setup. Bold and unforgiving, the track slaps hard, the violin feeling sharper than some of the programmed orchestrations other bands use so the overall effect is distinctive and different. A bass solo brings in the “Your Final Seconds” with the Nu-Metal vibes of early Mudvayne or KoRn before the sombre violin offers a dose of the melancholia found in Scandinavia. The scalding harsh unclean vocals are pure Deathcore, threatening to reach Slam territory during a grand finale of brutal breakdowns. How the band have managed to piece together a track that sounds fresh and nostalgic at the same time is a curiosity but it works really well.

“Napalm” throws back to bands like Winds Of Plague with savage vocals and brutal breakdowns in the first half meeting head on like a pair of rutting stags. That transcends into a glorious violin solo that gives the track a Melodic Death Metal vibe before stepping back for a final verse. On paper, as a concept it feels like it shouldn’t work but the reality is that the slick transitions between sonic passages are so smooth that it all fits very well together. “Avatara” then changes the energy with a rich melody and distorted spoken word moments that help create something more atmospheric. Sonically the band build off Nu-Metal foundations once more, the throat splitting vocals from Garcia the heaviest element in the sound. Francesco Ferrini of Fleshgod Apocalypse adds orchestrations to “Aura of Despair“, a song that sounds more rounded and fuller that some of the earlier ones. Heberer brings a more technical approach to the guitars while Butler offers up a punishing performance on the kit. As grand finales go, this is one is the very definition, opening up a realm of greater possibilities for the project with a stand out cut. All in all, as the cliché goes, this one bodes very well for the bands future… [7.5/10]

Track Listing

1. Ritual of Fidelity
2. Your Final Seconds (ft. Ville Hokkanen of Synestia, Altar of Despair)
3. Napalm
4. Avatara
5. Aura of Despair (ft. Francesco Ferrini of Fleshgod Apocalypse)

“New World” by Heteromorphic Zoo is out 10th October 2024 and is available over at bandcamp