Band:	Stoned God
Album:	Incorporeal
Style:	Progressive death metal
Release date:	February 06, 2020
A review by:	musclassia

01. Celestial Deicide
02. Dethrone The Traitors
03. Incorporeal
04. The Creator
05. Illusion
06. Alive
07. Artificial Sun
08. The Decadent Blind
09. Glowworms

Stoned God clearly like Gojira, and I suspect they enjoy Devin Townsend too. Add in some hints of deathcore and you'll start to get an idea of how they sound.

Incorporeal is the second release from this German trio, and from what I've heard of their debut, Discordant Divinity, they've stepped things up quite a bit in the intervening 4 years. The production is notably more refined, the songs are more fluid, and the instrumentation and vocals have developed. Nevertheless, one thing both share is a debt to the early works of Gojira, whose punishing groovy death metal style is all over both records. Just listen to the opening seconds of "Celestial Deicide", and their proggy-yet-groovy riffing approach is on display, as well as the combination of slower riffs with double bass drumming; the similarities in the guitar work only increase after this point. Nevertheless, this is no mere rip-off album; this clear influence acts as a platform for Stoned God to expand into progressive, tech-death and deathcore territories.

The vocals on Incorporeal alternate between a deep growl and a distinctive clean vocal approach that bears some resemblance to that of Devin Townsend, but with a slightly more modern, synthetic quality to it. The closest I can think in terms of a reference is The Faceless, specifically certain songs on Autotheism, an album that really came to mind when listening to "Illusion". These vocals really are the extra flair that helps Stoned God step somewhat away from the Godzilla-shaped shadow, making instantly memorable contributions to most songs, but particularly "Dethrone The Traitors" during its hugely groovy chorus, soaring high in "The Creator" and dominating the moody "Artificial Sun". The tone won't suit everybody, but I found it to be a really appealing element of Stoned God's sound.

A lot of this album does involve rampaging death metal-tinged grooves, but certain songs venture further in different directions. "Alive" is particular is quite deathcore-heavy, with its chuggy breakdowns and accompanying sinister atmospheric guitar parts. "Artificial Sun", on the other hand, is the biggest deviation from the norm, with its slow tempo, predominantly sung vocal approach, and memorable guitar lick giving it a more spacious vibe than the dense power of most of the rest of the album. Still, for the most part, Incorporeal is one bludgeoning mid-tempo tremolo riff after the other, albeit punctuated by some quite compelling guitar solos and occasional synths.

It might take a bit longer for Stoned God to fully form their own distinctive sound, but they're going in the right direction, and until then, this slab of groovy tech-death that they've created en route to that destination makes for perfectly satisfying listening.