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Amid a vast, endless ocean of tech-death bands channelling their inner Necrophagist and The Faceless, there is occasional bands that stand up and offer something truly interesting, perfectly balancing unsurpassed technical ability with a natural flair for song writing. One such band is Sacramento shredders Alterbeast. Alterbeast exploded onto the technical death metal scene with their debut album, ‘Immortal’ – released in 2014 through genre specialists Unique Leader Records. Technically superb, ‘Immortal’ was one of 2014’s strongest albums, mixing outstanding musicianship with a hook-ridden, accessible sound that was near-impossible to fault. And as 2017 draws to a close, Alterbeast are gearing up to release their highly anticipated sophomore album, ‘Feast’, in February 2018 – just shy of a full four years after their debut. Was it worth the wait?

Absolutely. From even the most cursory initial listen, there is no moment on ‘Feast’ that is boring, and no song not worthy of the listener’s full attention. As with every discographic comparison, the relation of ‘Feast’ to its predecessor is largely personal to the listener – released just before I finished high-school, ‘Immortal’ was one of my first introductions to technical death metal, and as such is a hugely important album to me personally.Though ‘Feast’ lacks that personal importance, on a purely subjective level, it is every bit as exceptional as Alterbeast’s esteemed debut and has hardly given my speakers a moments respite.

Alterbeast waste little time in unleashing aural bloodshed. After a deceptive few keystrokes of a piano, ‘Feast’ launches into “Welcome To Your Doom” – a shred-filled, three minute blast of melodic tech-death that wouldn’t sound entirely out of place in a The Black Dahlia Murder album. “The Maggots Ascension” maintains the pace and shred-fueled nature of “Welcome To Your Doom”, but contrasts it with a more brutal, punishing sound and a Suffocation-esque flair.

As said previously, every track on ‘Feast’ is fantastic – there is no filler to be found here. However, it is the second half of the record that takes the brilliance on display, and really pushes Alterbeast to the next level. The first single to be released from ‘Feast’, “Apex Night Eclipse” is the longest song so far in the album. Almost schizophrenic in its delivery, “Apex Night Eclipse” jumps between rapid-fire, Archspire influenced vocals and brutality, and hookier, more melodic death metal inspired riffing. Complete with an absolutely massive gang-vocal chant in the middle of the song, the single is set to be a mainstay in Alterbeast’s live set for the foreseeable future. “Coffin Crescendo” is a short, sweet track drawing a lot form the more melodic side of technical death metal, with subtle orchestration signalling an absolutely mammoth chorus.

‘Feast’ comes to a close with the two longest songs both on the album, and ever released by Alterbeast – a cover of Dissection’s “Where Dead Angels Lie” and the final masterpiece of ‘Feast’, “Upon The Face of the Deep.” Covers are a risky addition to any track-list – it is incredibly easy and all to common for a cover to either a) completely butcher the original composition, sounding unrecognisable and weak, or b) remain far too true to the original, sounding totally out of place in the bands repertoire. “Where Dead Angels Lie” is a perfect example of how a cover should be done – those familiar with Dissection will instantly recognise the track with its blackened riffing and melodies, while simultaneously Alterbeast have kept their signature sound present throughout. ‘Feast’ ends with “Upon The Face of the Deep” – a monstrous 6-minute opus that embodies every aspect of Alterbeast’s sound, complete with an exceptional, bluesy solo. It would be a pleasure to see Alterbeast write more longer tracks in the future, as while every song on ‘Feast’ is exceptional, it is the longer songs that really stand out and make an impact.

There is no denying Alterbeast are one of the most refreshing and exciting bands in the genre. Often, tech-death can seem a bit masturbatory, with the respective musicians revelling in their own technical abilities and sparing little thought to the basics of song writing. Alterbeast are something entirely different. Their influences are clear throughout the album, with occasional blasts of Archspire, The Black Dahlia Murder and Behemoth shining through the quintessential tech-death sound.With ‘Feast’, Alterbeast cement themselves as one of the perfect technical death metal bands. Displaying unsurpassable technical ability and face-melting shred in an accessible, enjoyable and supremely catchy package, ‘Feast’ is an early favourite for many end-of-year lists.