AN NCS PREMIERE: THE SCALAR PROCESS — “FAR FROM THE FLESH”

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Apr 132026
 

(written by Islander)

“Seductive”, “surreal”, “spellbinding” and “sublime” aren’t words usually deployed in describing the music of a band whose principle genre partition is technical death metal, even for an alliteration-addicted writer such as me. But those aspects of the song we’re about to premiere are precisely what make it stand out so memorably.

Those are also among the aspects of The Scalar Process’s new album Agnomysticism that led their label Transcending Obscurity Records to describe it as reflecting “simply staggering” progress beyond the band’s debut full-length Coagulative Matter five years ago.

To be clear, progressive tendencies and a penchant for creating mysterious and meditative moods were already evident on the band’s debut, and to be further clear, the new album still often includes instrumental performances of fast-paced, eye-popping dexterity, but the new one is far away from a non-stop thundering waterfall of notes and beats, and you need look no further than “Far From the Flesh” to find convincing proof of that. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: THE SCALAR PROCESS — “INK SHADOW”

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Dec 282020
 

 

The Scalar Process are a French trio who will make their full-length debut in February with the support of Transcending Obscurity Records. As a technical death metal band, their advent comes at a time when their chosen genre is burgeoning, indeed splitting at the seams because it is so over-stuffed with bands both new and old. To stand out at such times is a formidable challenge, but not one that is daunting to this band at all. A feeling of confidence blazes through the music, as well it should.

Perhaps it’s a given that the performers are technically impressive, and they’ve composed their music in ways that allow those skills to shine, and thereby to make the songs electrifying. But this flamboyance is only part of the album’s attraction, because the band are equally skilled at creating contrasts, enabling dramatic changes of mood and the introduction of atmospheric elements that are vital in making the songs memorable as well as pulse-pounding.

We have a great example of these compositional ingredients in the song we’re premiering today, the intriguingly named “Ink Shadow“, which is the third song to debut so far from this new album, Coagulative Matter. Continue reading »