Stillbirth strikes again.
Created in 1999 in Germany, the band made a short break from 2004 to 2006 before coming back on the scene. In 2023, Lukas Swiaczny (vocals, Placenta Powerfist, Xavleg), Martin Grupe (drums, Diaroe, live for Xavleg), Lukas Kaminski (bass, Placenta Powerfist, Xavleg, Sijjeel, ex-Diaroe), Leonard Willi (guitar) and Szymon Skiba (guitar) announce the release of their eighth album, Homo Deus, on Distortion Music Group.
The Hunt, the first track, leaves no doubt: after this alarmist introductory sample, the band attacks us with well felt and catchy moshparts completed by wild screams and some infrabasses. The sound leads us after a final break to Disgraced, a longer but equally effective composition which gives the groovy riffs some freedom, allowing them to include more melodious and worked leads before Proclaimed the Anarchy will give bass an important place, creating heady harmonics before the waves of violence resurface. Massive screams punctuate the rage between growl and pig squeal, sometimes offering effective Grind influences, then Homo Deus, the eponymous track, will place piercing leads to complete the permanent aggressiveness with which the band conscientiously crushes us. Heady melodies will surprise again, but they perfectly fit into the surge before Slaughtered and Disemboweled comes to take part in the massacre, adding its fix of energetic riffs which will not fail to motivate pits. The band allows us a few moments of respite with the acoustic introduction of Rising from the Ashes, then rage resurfaces with saturation, revealing a slightly more Old School approach while letting the modern mix hit before Autonomous Eradictaion, which will let infrabass rhythm the waves of violence. Bomb blast and double kick take turns to leave the listener no dead time until Seeds of Judgement comes to pour its abrasive groove, which will be transformed on the moshparts into a real Slamming Brutal Death steamroller. Descending will let the musicians go wild with tapping and jerky riffs, completed by an aggressive but always worked approach, then the band will adopt Blues influences on Tribunal of Penance. It will be surprising, but in the end, the sound’s epic and dark dimension perfectly combines with the waves of aggressiveness that follow, making the contrast addictive, and finally letting Get Out close the album with a sound supported with impressive sonorities which rather fit well with the apocalypse the five musicians feed until the last moment.
Stillbirth has always handled violence with precision and rage, but the band shows us with Homo Deus its evolution. We still have devastating riffs and catchy patterns, but we also feel that the band is not satisfied with lining up moshparts, allowing itself some hints of technicality.
90/100