Circle of Contempt are from Finland, but any preconceived notions you may have about Finnish metal need to be thrown out of the window right now. When the first track of Artifacts in Motion begins to play, you may just think you’re listening to the latest from Canada’s Beneath the Massacre or California’s All Shall Perish. Circle of Contempt are as tech-deathcore as can be. There’s even a bit of Meshuggah thrown in, especially during the solos. There are stop-go riffs, floating undercurrents of fifth notes, and crazy jazzy arpeggio sweeps. And that’s all within the first minute of “Color Lines.” By the time the track ends, however, you will know that this is not your average technically-oriented metal.

What I absolutely love about Circle of Contempt is the ease at which they take an established genre and infuse it with elements many would consider too alien to fit in. That’s just the beauty of their style. Everything fits and flows so perfectly, you might think that every moment of every song in this album was thoroughly and meticulously planned. Not one song feels out of place. Not the atmospheric instrumental that the first half of the album segues into, nor the instant return to brutality after its conclusion.

Each song is a microcosm, with a fine-tuned structure that includes wall-busting riffs, synth-padded power-chord transitions, and epic sounding solos. Try to imagine, if you can, that the softer portions of a metalcore band were merged with the zaniness of Meshuggah and the stunningly efficient brutality of Beneath the Massacre. This marriage is a little different, but it works, so well in fact that I’ve yet to find a song I can’t listen to. As a matter of fact, many of the songs are worth repeated listens. You could attribute this to the hooks that are present, but I’d rather just say it’s the multiple layers, both melodic and brutal, that warrant closer examination.

The production here is top notch, at least for this genre. Notes, especially in the middle range, are clear and have plenty of sustain. There’s a hard mechanical tremolo buzz to every palm mute and a dry snapping bite to every open note. The drums, though obviously aided by a machine, are punchy. The bass drum hits are a bit high and, as is the case with many tech-deathcore bands, pitter-patter their way behind every stop-go guitar riff. The bass guitar does make up for this, even though this relegates it to filling in the aural gap rather than being allowed to stand on its own. Vocals range from metalcore scream-singing to guttural growls. For those of you worried about the singing, it’s few and far between and happens to work best where it’s at.

To be quite honest, this album is the best technical deathcore I’ve had my hands on and until the more popular acts in this genre prove otherwise, it’s also the most revolutionary. The genre has been stagnant the last few releases, with everyone basically sounding like everyone else. Finland’s Circle of Contempt, perhaps as outsiders looking in considering the type of metal Finland is famous for, bring fresh life to the scene and will hopefully bring it to new heights.

4.5/5