Pyrrhon - An Excellent Servant But a Terrible Master

Artwork by Caroline Harrison

I got Pyrrhon's An Excellent Servant But a Terrible Master back when the band self-released it on their Bandcamp. Later they signed to Selfmadegod, which led to said Bandcamp being decimated. Before the entire album was available as a name your price download, after you could only stream two songs. When I whined about it here, vocalist Doug Moore patiently explained that Selfmadegod requested Pyrrhon remove most of the album, and since they were nice enough to invest their resources in our music, it was the least we could do to oblige.

Fast forward to now. Selfmadegod has a Bandcamp, and An Excellent Servant But a Terrible Master has been restored to its full glory on the Pyrrhon Bandcamp. The circle has been closed (or something).

Pyrrhon plays technical death metal. The band has exquisite chops and writes lyrics that has something to say. Jazzy rhythm section, intense tremelo picking, chunky riffing, catchy breaks, spacey solos. And chaos. This is music that echoes a pulsating city, more specifically New York.

The subway tunnels sigh
Damp air rushing up through oiled grates
Drawn from phlegmy pools
That fester beneath the streets

Like New York Pyrrhon's music is busy and off-the-wall, and has lots of cool shit going on. And they manage to keep the chaos grounded, as Danhammer Obstkrieg writes Pyrrhon succeeds where a lot of ultra-technical death metal acts fail by actually allowing the listener to get her rhythmic bearings before going off on a fret-abusing tear.

Above, the world buzzes
Wires, fridges, flickering fixtures
Commercial jingles and radio chatter
Blaring klaxons and whispering mendicants

The city has fallen ill
Its foundations sink into muck

Check out the review from Heavy Blog is Heavy and off course the music itself.

[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]

Pyrrhon also have new 2012 Demo streaming at their Bandcamp.