Band : Incarna

Album title : Spires Deceased

Label : Casket/ Copro

Distributor : PHD

Release date : 10/03/2008

Release : MCD (5 tracks)

Very little info about this British quintet, currently consisting of lead singer Rob Davis , guitarists Alex Killoran & Gareth Woodward , bassist James Knapp , and drummer Phil Platt , so I thought I'd simply give you the complete bio we got along with our promo copy of the band's official debut mini-CD...

"... Incarna is a five-piece Metal band from Oxfordshire UK. Formed way back in 2003 having just picked up their instruments, Incarna have grown from strenght to strength since the arrival of a second guitarist in late 2005. With numerous shows and a couple of minor demo recordings under their belts, the band attracted the interest of TK labels, eventually making the decision to work with Casket Music/ Copro Productions ... Incarna have finished recording their debut EP Spires Deceased at Philia Studios , Henley-On-Thames ( Johnny Truant , Stampin' Ground ) and is a million miles away from anything the band have done previously. Working with Nick Hemingway on production duties ( Cancer , Fony , Penknifelovelife , and also drummer in ISOR ), Spires Deceased is a fusion of the heaviness and brutality of modern Metal, mixed with the band's ever-evolving taste for more melodic and progressive musical passages. With an identity of their own and time on their side, Incarna are eagerly anticipating what the future holds for them..."!

Well, thus far the label, and as you know labels will usually do anything to promote their "products"...but in the case of Incarna they were obviously somewhat short of words in bringing up the best of the band to the forefront. Or were they? Everything they wrote in the biography is true, and nothing less but the absolute truth! They coùld've added that singer Rob likes the absolute extremes in Metal, using a visceral voice that is more common in Black and Death Metal acts, say even some of the more extreme Metalcore bands. But all in all, the label's assessment of the band's music is quite an acurate one.

A standpoint of which you can convince yourself by surfing to myspace.com/incarnaband, where Incarna posted 3 tracks off their self-titled 2006 demo alongside 2 tracks off the (just under 23 minutes long) 5-track Spires Deceased . I nevertheless suppose you'll agree that the whole of music and vocals combined is a rather difficult thing to digest nevertheless. Personally, it took me a couple of listening sessions to truely get into it, but once past my initial astonishment, I actually grew to like, nay even lóve the band's antics! I mean, Spires Deceased may well grow on me to the point of eventually making it into my "Best Albums Of 2008"-list!

For the time being however, a more moderate rating...?

91/100

Tony.