As I listen to “Incurso” for the twentieth time (give or take ten), I visualize a scene from Dragonslayer in my head: when Galen discovers the baby dragons eating the sacrificed princess (I think I’ve been mentally scarred for life by that scene). The visual of those dragons gleefully tearing apart the princess’ flesh fits the sinister jubilance of “Incurso.”

It has been my experience (with few exceptions – Cephalic Carnage, Cannabis Corpse, Psyopus) that death metal, especially technical death metal, tends to be very determined, somber, and serious. If humor is to be found, it is usually sophomoric at best or very sadistic and dark. And “playful” would not be a likely adjective to describe the sound of most technical death metal bands.

However, Spawn of Possession’s “Incurso” is playful. In the same way that those baby dragons were playful with their meal. The frenetic pace and the melodies of Jonas Bryssling’s and Christian Muenzner’s guitarwork have this childlike rapturous quality, not unlike some demonic entity testing and exploring its powers and inadvertently causing mass destruction in the process. Also of note, is the prodigious bass playing of Erlend Casperson and it would not surprise me if he had some jazz training.

The instrumental opener of ‘Abodement’ captures this curiosity perfectly. As soon as it begins it is torn apart by ‘Where Angels Go Demons Follow’. It is all too easy to visualize demons and angels tearing each apart with every whiplashing riff. ‘Bodiless Sleeper’ opens with minimalist piano notes being struck, which sound like they’re underwater, before charging with breakneck speed. ‘The Evangelist’ is the longest track and it does not falter nor does it suffer the listener any boring moments. ‘Spiritual Deception’ is an exercise in masterful musicianship that is tightly crafted and delivered with the precision of a laser guided bunker buster bomb. If death metal music could be found in a church, then ‘Apparition’ would be the song you’d most likely hear. Fast, melodic, and haunting, it has this sacred (or sacrilegious) vibe to it. It is my favorite song on the whole album.

Spawn Of Possession strike me as humble technical death metal. Bryssling, Muenzner, and Carperson spew forth arpeggios and bass vamps with abandon, but they never once seem out of place or superfluous. As I said, there is a casual playfulness, a comfort with the technical skills that is an ego-less genius. I am definitely gonna look into these guys back catalogue.

Best Songs: ‘Bodiless Sleeper’, ‘Servitude Of Souls’, ‘Spiritual Deception’, and ‘Apparition’.