Twisted Into Form
Then Comes Affliction To Awaken The Dreamer
8
With the recent reformations of Cynic, Atheist, and Believer, early ‘90s technical death metal has made an unexpected return. Even if said bands hadn’t decided to give it another go, however, their influence would remain as noticeable as it has been ever since their respective masterpieces – Focus, Unquestionable Presence, and Dimensions – were unleashed upon a mostly unsuspecting metal world. On that note, meet the impressive supergroup with a healthy, conspicuous affinity for Cynic: Twisted into Form.
Featuring vocalist Knashaug (ex-Spiral Architect), guitarist Gornitzka (ex-Spiral Architect), bassist Aaland (ex-Lunaris), and drummer Husvik (Extol, Absurd2), Twisted into Form do parallel Spiral Architect to a certain extent, but Then Comes Affliction to Awaken the Dreamer is more like Focus than any other album I’ve encountered thus far. From its general progressive nature to its guitar tones to its audible bass lines to its virtuosic drumming to its occasional robotic vocals to its half-growls, this record could almost be an homage. In their own right, though, the four-piece display adept songwriting skills and staggering musicianship at nearly every corner, the evidence of which can be heard in “Instinct Solitaire,” the surprisingly emotional “Torrents,” and in just about any of the 10 tracks on tap. The only real deviance from the Cynic-cum-Spiral Architect approach can be heard in “The Thin Layers of Lust and Love” when TiF momentarily try something similar to what Orphaned Land did on Mabool (specifically, the beginning of “Ocean Land”). Otherwise, there’s not much else that can be said about Then Comes Affliction....
While not a clone of the above-mentioned groups, this Sensory signing are evidently confirming that imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery. Still, a reasonable complaint would be that these guys simply mirror their idols and previous engagements, rather than forge ahead as the term “progressive” suggests. In any case, I find this highly enjoyable despite the unshakable likenesses to other units.
