{"id":8458,"date":"2022-09-15T23:06:11","date_gmt":"2022-09-16T03:06:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/heavensmetalmagazine.com\/?p=8458"},"modified":"2022-09-17T16:46:36","modified_gmt":"2022-09-17T20:46:36","slug":"becoming-the-archetype-children-of-the-great-extinction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/heavensmetalmagazine.com\/index.php\/2022\/09\/15\/becoming-the-archetype-children-of-the-great-extinction\/","title":{"rendered":"BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE: Children of the Great Extinction"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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“I don’t know if it could really work out”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Speculations of Synergy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A few years ago (seems like a lifetime ago now) I was privileged to conduct an interview<\/a> with Jason Wisdom (Becoming the Archetype\/Death Therapy) around the release of his second Death Therapy album Voices<\/a><\/em>. At the conclusion of the interview \u2013 in true \u201cfan-boy\u201d manner \u2013 I posed the following question:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On a lighter note, the million-dollar question \u2026 when is the Becoming the Archetype reunion, LOL? In all seriousness (because I understand and know that life, family and practical matters are paramount) is this even a consideration, and if so, is this something the original members have discussed? You guys were blessed with a chemistry, giftset and power that few enjoy\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2026 and the million-dollar answer\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cOnly time will tell. I think it would be fun, but I don\u2019t know if it could really work out.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I remember thinking at the time, that it was a safe answer \u2013 and a smart one \u2013 but all the while had a gut-level feeling that day would come\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026and that day has arrived! Original members Seth Hecox (guitars\/keys\/vocals), Jason Wisdom (bass\/vocals) and Brent \u201cDuck\u201d Duckett are back \u2026 and in full form and fury!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Recollections of Recording<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While Becoming the Archetype was blessed with a way-too-short 7-year run (2005-2012), what a run it was! For me, and many other fans who were disillusioned with the \u201csameness\u201d of extreme metal circa early 21st<\/sup> century, BTA was a breath of innovative fresh air. Their debut album Terminate Damnation<\/em> (2005) was such a metal anomaly. Honestly, in retrospect, I don\u2019t think most of us knew what to think about it \u2026 but in time the genius began to emerge, and the brilliance shined forth. Below are just a fraction of the emotional responses evoked in my brain when it was released:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mix Living Sacrifice with Tourniquet and you have an idea what this extremely talented new \u201creal\u201d metal band sounds like. This is not nu-metal, nor is it metalcore or any other variation of emo\/screamo. No, these guys are playing an extremely tight, progressive death metal that finds its origins in old school metal and you will not find another album on the commercial market like this one right now \u2026 This music is replete with organs, pianos, acoustical guitar interludes, blistering guitar solos and technical leads ala Tourniquet, throbbing bass leads, thundering kick drums, syncopated tom pounding and loud, I mean loud, knock you off your feet crunchy guitars \u2026 Spin after spin, this has got to best debut album of 2005, and one of the best new metal bands in a long time, period!  <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And then, just two years later, guitarist Alex Kenis now in tow, Becoming the Archetype unleashed Physics of Fire<\/em> upon the world. Below are a few excerpts from my original published review in HM Magazine<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An archetype is defined as an original model on which something is patterned. So, for those familiar with this band and their stunning debut, Terminate Damnation, you know that they have already \u201cbecome\u201d a metal archetype. While it\u2019s entirely possible the band\u2019s name has more to do with \u201cbecoming\u201d like our archetypal Lord \u2013 <\/em>that is, more Christ-like \u2013 <\/em>than being a prototypical metal band, there is no denying that their penchant to \u201cforge their own steel\u201d has not been in vain. Hemorrhaging two guitarists and grafting-in singer\/songwriter\/guitarist Alex Kenis (Aletheian) \u2013 <\/em>who injects just the right amount of melodic vocal and technical guitar \u2013 <\/em>seems almost surgical. Adoring fans have nothing to fear because the band\u2019s complex, creative, heavy yet melodic, uplifting and thought-provoking \u201cwe respect where metal has been\u201d style of music \u2013 <\/em>replete with uncompromising message \u2013 <\/em>remains essentially intact. Hardly possible, but Jason Wisdom\u2019s growl seems more intense, with greater clarity; he spews forth metaphorical tales and truths of spiritual fire with unrivaled conviction. Seamless, old-school solos gloriously soar over technical, yet heavy riffs, relentless bass pulsations and frenetic drum gyrations \u2013 <\/em>all while \u201cCount\u201d Hecox masterfully weaves his piano into and out of the fray.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And then, just one year later (2008) came the near-perfection, Devin Townsend-produced Dichotomy<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you are a fan of progressive death metal \u2013 and BTA in particular \u2013 then you may agree with me that everything this band creates is exceptionally good. And you may also agree that with each release they continue to evolve and expand. This time around the songs are shorter, more direct and more diverse \u2013 with a huge focus on Jason\u2019s vocals. Metal genius Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad, Devin Townsend Band) co-labored as producer, so these tunes are layered and textured to the max, which gives every song a crushing, yet cinematic feel. Conceptual, the lyrics deal with the \u201cdichotomous\u201d struggles of machine vs. man and intellect vs. faith \u2013 a great reminder of how, to our own demise, we often negate the intangible in pursuit of the tangible. These guys are doing for Christian extreme metal what Living Sacrifice did in the 90\u2019s \u2013 garnering credibility. With their commitment to brutal music that is technically brilliant yet spiritually provoking, they exemplify all the best qualities in metal circa 2008.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After a brief hiatus, the Becoming the Archetype exhaled a breath of change, transformation and maybe a bit of release. 2011\u2019s Celestial Completion<\/em> exuded a \u201cwe are comfortable in our skin and not just an extreme metal band\u201d kind of vibe, not a bad one mind, but one with a bit of that proverbial \u201cwritings on the wall\u201d outlook for the band\u2019s future\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BTA may not look and act like your typical metal band, but the sounds that emanate from the speakers are extreme nonetheless. Their fourth \u2013 and most diverse \u2013 release in a decade is a balanced blend of death, progressive and metalcore styles, with some heavy experimentation thrown in for fun ala Between The Buried and Me. The outrageous ska-skewed tune \u201cCardiac Rebellion\u201d is quite a shocker, but the 3-part requiem that precedes it hearkens back to the kind of composition we first heard on Terminate Damnation where the beauty is effectively juxtaposed with the brutal. Songs like \u201cThe Magnetic Sky,\u201d \u201cInternal Illumination\u201d and \u201cReflect\/Refract\u201d are simply huge \u2013 the lyrics giving us the kind of spiritual depth and reverence so lacking in today\u2019s art. The mixture of guitar tones and vocal styles throughout is reminiscent of progressive extremists Tourniquet (especially on \u201cPath of the Beam\u201d) yet BTA retains their distinct and unique flavor.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Not surprisingly, the infamous band break-up occurred soon after leaving Seth Hecox to carry on without his mates. Like a champ, Hecox succeeded in rounding up a crew of solid musicians to produce 2012\u2019s swansong I Am<\/em>, which was in its own right a very good release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Amidst personnel changes, BTA forges ahead with more of their patented technical\/progressive death metal. This time the subject matter is a discourse on the attributes and character of God. The most significant change is that Chris McCane has replaced Jason Wisdom on lead vocals. While it doesn\u2019t significantly alter the band\u2019s essence or style, there is enough of a difference that some fans might be turned away. After 10 spins, I\u2019d have to say I still prefer Jason\u2019s style over the new singer. Also, the mixing of clean and harsh vocals is employed here to a greater degree than on any of their past releases. Again, this may polarize purists. Regardless, the quality remains high, but I can\u2019t help but feel a bit let down, at least in terms of the songwriting. All the songs are short and there is less diversity, less dynamic contrast and perhaps a less \u201cepic\u201d vibe overall. Of course, this was a direction that the band was already heading with Celestial Completion, an album that was extremely diverse, maybe almost to a fault.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Delusions of Decay<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

And then it was over, just like that. I remember at the time how I felt \u2013 the words to label-mates Demon Hunter coming to mind, \u201cAnd when my heartstrings come undone\/I will wait for you, pray for you\/Before I make my final run\/I will stay with you, decay with you\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026 and for me it just didn\u2019t feel right, the whole thing, like this wasn\u2019t the final run for Wisdom and company. Too much talent, too much insight, too much creativity, too many expectations? \u2026 too little time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Time passed. Death Therapy healed old wounds? A contagion was released upon the earth. Time paused \u2026 Life paused. But out of the great extinction of social interaction came a resurgence of creativity, one which in turn spawned reconciliations of old alliances reannealed by the unbreakable welding of metal brotherhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ruminations of Reunion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

My initial thoughts when I heard about this release were, \u201cNow how do you actually come back from all that?\u201d (By \u201cthat\u201d I mean, of course, the 7-year run of diverse metal brilliance). Do you return to your roots? Do you try something completely different? What about mixing it all together? What about lyrics? Direct or metaphorical? And don\u2019t forget the spiritual applications, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One can only imagine the conversation…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How about a concept album? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wait, what? (Um, even for a band in its prime, a concept album is extremely difficult to execute). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How about a concept album that mixes everything we\u2019ve done stylistically? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ok, musically possible, but lyrically? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, a space metal\/sci-fi saga of interplanetary proportions, narrative-style, yet metaphorical and spiritual with a touch of timeless redemption and sacrifice thrown in for good measure, backed by an incredible soundtrack of highly discernible growling vocals, (cookie monsters are good story tellers too!) crushing guitar riffs, a few sweet solos from old friends, brutally crushing drum rhythms, some synths, acoustical interludes, some experimentation (just not ska, please) and one helluva sound mix! Sound like fun to you? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uhh\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh yeah, and by the way, let\u2019s take it one step further into outer space and not even put our band logo or title on the cover!! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like who even does that, ever? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The art, man \u2026 its all about the art!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uhh, one question \u2026 is this like Part I of II or III? And um, what kind of title (which won\u2019t be on the cover, BTW) does this behemoth \u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Come on, man, that\u2019s two questions!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Chronicles of Children of the Great Extinction<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Chapter I: Shadows of Separation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cWe have not forgotten! We have not forgotten!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you think this world is alive, just wait \u2026 the saga begins in \u201cThe Dead World\u201d <\/strong>where BTA establishes that they are very much alive and well. Fast rhythms, pummeling double bass drums, sweeping atmospheric synths, the patented growls of Wisdom alternating with clear vocals squarely set the scene while simultaneously awakening the neural networks of thousands of listeners to the BTA juice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it only intensifies on the single \u201cThe Lost Colony\u201d<\/strong> where the aural network starts to reconnect with the past \u2013 Wisdom\u2019s intensity here so persistent, impossible to deny the power possessed by a single voice. Guest guitar solo by Daniel Gailey scores some shred points \u2026 and love when Wisdom slightly slips into the more melodic on \u201csilence!\u201d This track was surely chosen as a \u201csingle\u201d for its brevity, but it’s best appreciated amidst the context of the entire album (Yeah, dude, internet singles suck, just like play the whole thing \u2026 it’s concept metal!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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