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Luxembourg Technical Death act Theophagist have been around since 2015, and while they don't seem to want to revolutionize the genre, they at least want to put their own twist on it with their debut, I Am Abyss. As you'd expect, this is a dense and inaccessible release whose intricacy takes several listens to fully grasp. Rather than focusing on endless blasting that'll make your eyes glaze over, however, Theophagist rely on more on evoking a blood-chilling atmosphere that radiates darkness and light thanks to compositions filled with unorthodox elements and bizarre twists and turns that still retain a significant amount of heaviness and brutality. Standouts include the lovely instrumental "Awakening the...", played entirely with a freaking cello, and the hypnotic, almost Torture Killers-esque "Recipe for Human Cake", a mid-tempo number with hooky, pounding riffs, awesome solos, and a truculent chorus. In a field as oversaturated as Death Metal, I have to say I Am Abyss is one of the better offerings I've heard in a while, and anyone with an interest in more unusual Technical Death Metal will want to give this band their immediate attention.