In some alternative universe where we all got high GPA’s for playing air guitar, Dave Davidson would have tenure at MIT’s Department of Rhythmic Physics. Instead, he’s still out here writing songs about our impending technological demise, masterfully soloing with jazz guitars, and naming tracks after body horror puns. (Seriously, David strikes me as the sort of person who argued with his guitar teacher in middle school about Ionian vs. Dorian modes.)
This brings us to New Gods, New Masters, out September 26th via Metal Blade Records. (I swear that label is the Vatican of blast beats) Starting with the obvious, this is their fifth record with Metal Blade, and Davidson sounds more possessed than ever. But not in the usual way, this time around, there seems to be a bit more curiosity. The press release says Davidson has “refined his craft,” but that’s like saying Escher got slightly better at drawing stairs. The man’s solos feel like you’re decoding ancient alien algebra with your teeth.
This album’s concepts feel ripped straight from an undergrad’s term paper at Miskatonic University. I wish I could just upload my notes as I was listening; there were so many points where I just lost my damn mind. Humans replacing outdated deities with algorithmic overlords, A.I. as the new Messiah, and death by digital transcendence were David’s verbatim in regard to inspiration. Which is exactly the kind of thing Revocation has always done better than their peers. Shredable cosmic dread.
New rhythm guitarist (Harry Lannon) and bassist (Alex Weber), which in most bands would just mean less drama at the merch table. But in Revocation, new members mean new weapons. Weber has the kind of low-end precision that feels like it was programmed, and Lannon might be the first rhythm guitarist to actually match Davidson’s frantic tempo shifts without catching on fire. Throw in Ash Pearson’s relentless kit gymnastics, and you’ve got an album that feels like the last four neurons firing in a dying God’s brain.
If you need a single to hold your hand into this digital abyss, they dropped “Cronenberged.” Davidson’s body-horror homage is equal parts Rick and Morty, David Cronenberg, and Job For A Cowboy (with guest vocalist Jonny Davy, naturally). The video features him transforming into a tentacle-covered nightmare creature, because of course it does. Also, because practical FX are the only thing heavier than digital ones, you better believe people on set were gagging. It’s the most disgusting thing you’ll want to watch sober.
New Gods, New Masters might actually be Revocation’s most collaborative work to date, with guests like Travis Ryan (Cattle Decapitation), Luc Lemay (Gorguts), and Gilad Hekselman (Yes! The jazz wizard). And somehow, it doesn’t sound bloated. It sounds cold, sprawling, and oddly spiritual.
The three tracks that stood out were Track 1. New Gods, New Masters. (It kicked the ever living shit out of my eardrums, it gave me chills, and made me feel vividly insignificant as a human being.) Track 3. Confines of Infinity. (Absolutely mind-blowing, felt like a nod to every genre in an unbelievable control of sophistication. My brain actually felt warped after listening.) And Track 6. The All Seeing. (Which is just a dreamcast of melodies that I’d be impressed if anyone else could play with as much energy.)
They’re touring this beast across North America starting October 16th with Judiciary, Inferi, and Vomit Forth. The dates include stops from Boston to Boise, ending in Raleigh. If you’ve followed Revocation since their Empire of the Obscene days (which is basically tech-death’s version of Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All), you know this band has always walked the line between virtuosity and violence. They’re the kind of band that will make you headbang while simultaneously doubting the continuity of your own soul. Over the years, they’ve absolutely mutated from thrash-infused hybrids (Existence is Futile, Chaos of Forms) to full-on Lovecraftian death metal evangelists (The Outer Ones, Netherheaven). I’m telling you, from the bottom of my heart, this album is far more prophetic than anything they have ever done. This is by far their finest work.
Revocation will release their new album New Gods, New Masters on September 26th via Metal Blade Records. Pre-orders are available now.
