Album Review: Immortal Bird – Thrive On Neglect (20 Buck Spin)

Bands mixing sub-genres in underground metal often do so with mixed and inconsistent results. Not so with Chicago’s Immortal Bird who wield their eclectic savagery with meticulous cohesion and sharpened ferocity. Returning with “Thrive On Neglect”, the band’s second LP, and first for 20 Buck Spin, Immortal Bird takes the perilous road of musical diversity and command it with a bloodthirsty rage. It will be released on July 5th 2019.

Listening to Immortal Bird’s Thrive On Neglect, two thoughts come through.

The first being that the familiar sound of death-infused heaviness is quite appealing even if it lacks refinement. The second is that what sounds familiar isn’t and Immortal Bird’s sound is far more complex and intriguing then anyone could quite expect. It’s basis is in the more extreme sound of metal but it’s not one thing or the other. When it comes to blending sub-genres well, Immortal Bird certainly have it down.

However, as intriguing and interesting as that might be, it doesn’t always result in memorable music. Good music, music you can bang your head too but only in the short term. This is most obvious with the first two tracks where they blur together.

Having seemingly warmed up, Vestigial Warnings comes along with a bit more to offer. The stop start nature, flips and twists of the guitar and savagery of the vocals. It really keeps things tightly balanced. Avolition is a long one at over 7 minutes and while it initially doesn’t thrill, it batters away at the mind until there is little left but to enjoy the intense fury of Immortal Bird’s death metal assault.

It’s still not quite as refined as some might hope for but on the flip side of that, it does expose the raw nerves of their technical guitar work. It’s these moments that often excite the most even if the doomier moments also impress. Such as the start of Solace in Dead Structures and the underlying threads of Quisquilian Company.

Finally we have Stumbling Towards Catharsis, an excitable finale that builds nicely to wild heaviness. Immortal Bird throwing their absolute all into one unblemished heavy metal track.

A handful of misses, Thrive On Neglect is way more hit. It’s fire and fury is exceptionally wicked when it comes together.

Immortal Bird – Thrive on Neglect Full Track Listing:

1. Anger Breeds Contempt
2. House Of Anhedonia
3. Vestigial Warnings
4. Avolition
5. Solace in Dead Structures
6. Quisquilian Company
7. Stumbling Towards Catharsis

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