Illogicist

Having slipped under the radar with their Crash Music debut, Subjected, Italy’s Illogicist, with the help of the enlightened connoisseurs over at Willowtip, have risen from the depths of obscurity and come out on top with their tremendously captivating sophomore effort, The Insight Eye. Death are the most obvious and predominant influence, and though at times it may seem like they’re simply performing ritualistic Schuldiner worship, they’ve infused enough ingenuity to ensure that they cannot be written off as yet another bunch of half-assed, wannabe hacks. Their advanced musicianship allows them to navigate structures intelligently, bringing a modern sensibility to Schuldiner’s classic stylings. There is a Martyr flair to their modulation as well, while their affinity for mid-tempo progressive tech is along the same lines as Necrophagist, which may or may not be related to the fact that the genius holding it down behind the kit is Marco Minneman. They write cohesive yet insightful songs, bringing back the hooks often enough to have them resonate in your mind while keeping you guessing as to where they’ll venture next. Both compelling and catchy, The Insight Eye is the kind of record likely to remain in heavy rotation.