Athura - A Hand In Death's Design Review

Raw and powerful, yet orchestrated and structured. A contradiction of musical textures, which has been brought before us by Plymouth 6-piece Metal act Athura.  Bringing an untamed anger, while feeling meticulous in their utilisations of groove, complex harmonics and powerful melody.

It's clear to see their mixture of inspirations, and it creates a somewhat diverse palette of metal for any fan to enjoy.  From sections of pure speed, to those of pure chugs a la death-metal, along with some face-melting breakdowns to boot.  Athura spend the album balancing on the metaphorical line between ferocity and technicality; but as this will cater to dedicated listeners of the genre, this is also my gripe with the album: as it's clear to hear the band's clear passionate stance behind their sound (extremely talented artists by the way), it doesn't really alter much through the album.  I feel it would have helped to see some wandering from side to side of this aforementioned line to expose more of their unique melodical qualities, and keep the experience fresh from start-to-finish.

This is the 'sweet spot' though.  Methodically planned agression.  A controlled experiment of ferocious metal mixed with sheer melody and groove to make a great listen.  You can sense the near-mathematical effort that these guys have put into A Hand In Death's Design. 7/10