Album Review: Needless – The Cosmic Cauldron (UPRISING! Records)

Carl Fisher 2 min read

Welcome to the sci-fi world of Needless. On ‘The Cosmic Cauldron’, the band’s second album, the Hungarian death metallers offers a ten-track sci-fi concept album featuring the story of an astronaut who grants an unbearable gift from an entity, which is beyond our universe. A relic, a framework, a godly being out of this world: The Cosmic Cauldron.

The Cosmic Cauldron will be re-released on CD and digital via UPRISING! Records on January 7th, 2022.

Nearly an hour long, The Cosmic Cauldron is a gargantuan interstellar release. One made up of crushing melodic death metal sounds, progressive wildness, and detailed intricacies. One where the story being told feels and fits the tone and Needless express themselves with a mighty amount of heaviness and ordered chaos.

Ordered chaos because Needless provide the sci-fi infused soundtrack to the unknown. An unknown that is both terrifying and difficult to grasp.

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

With a frantic, but measured approach, Needless blaze a path through the cosmos. Delivering a bevy of ripping riffs, chunky hooks, planet-shattering percussion and nasty, guttural vocals. All warped by a sense of grandness, infusions of melody and technical mastery. It’s the combination of all of this and the impressive talents within the band, that makes the hour feel half that.

Though, be under no illusion, Needless are taking you away… far away with The Cosmic Cauldron. Unlike many other releases that deal in sci-fi, interstellar locations, galactic entities and the cold, dark reaches of space, Needless create fear and wonder through the medium of the unknown. An important aspect is the feeling of weight and expectation that is placed in the astronauts’ hands and what it might mean. This is felt by the listener, the same wonder and confusion but also the fear that comes from the enigmatic situation.

It doesn’t distract either, the progressive viciousness being still front and centre. What it does do is add more weight and takes the listener on what is quite a compelling journey.

Needless – The Cosmic Cauldron Full Track Listing:

1. Warvoid A.D.
2. Astrogate The Spectral Lane
3. The Predation
4. Mournful Heavens
5. The Cosmic Cauldron
6. Odium
7. The Prism Fortress
8. Chrononaut
9. Planet Oblivion
10. Transgalactic




Links

Webshop | Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

Author

  • Owner/Administrator/Editor/Writer/Interviewer/YouTuber - you name it, I do it. I love gaming, horror movies, and all forms of heavy metal and rock. I'm also a Discworld super-fan and love talking all things Terry Pratchett. Do you wanna party? It's party time!

Needless - The Cosmic Cauldron (UPRISING! Records)
  • The Final Score - 8/10
    8/10
Sending
User Review
7.27/10 (6 votes)