Death metal has historically relied on abrasive instrumentation to create atmospheres of overwhelming ferocity. Death metal is meant to stimulate; to move crowds and get the blood pumping. Much of the time, we don’t think of death metal as something that could be – psychedelic.

Over the course of heavy metal’s history, the definition of what is metal has been tested with the genre expanding into new forms of heavy music. Among those who have been at the front of this expansion is that of Blood Incantation. When it comes to their sound, there are very few that reach the level of sonic surrealness like the Denver, CO technical death metal outfit. With their 2015 release of Starspawn and their 2019 follow-up Hidden History of the Human Race, Blood Incantation has blended heavy instrumentation with that of the tranquil – creating a complex duality that is enchanting and haunting all at once.

To say that Blood Incantation follow-up on this quality in their latest release Timewave Zero would be an understatement. Timewave Zero is not so much the band playing to their metal prowess, but a greater representation of their artistry. Once again, the band pushes the envelope on what heavy music can be, creating a presentation brimming with surreal soundscapes and ominous tones.

To address the elephant in the room – Timewave Zero is an ambient record. However, in its roughly 40-minute runtime (a little over an hour if you count the bonus digipak track), the record pulls the listener into a cosmic journey very in tune with that of Blood Incantation’s previous material. Of the two songs that make up that 40-minute runtime, the band offers a grand demonstration of droning magic – one of rich atmosphere that lulls the listener into a place of tranquility and mystique. With familiar sonic touches reminiscent of such acts like Pink Floyd and Sun O))), the material of Timewave Zero unravels like a tapestry of dream-like wonder. This is an experience to vibe too, to allow one’s mind to escape and exist in the moment. To see what each musical touch elicits within the mind.

Ambient music like this very much involves a subjective element; what I experience in terms of tranquility may be different than what you or someone else experiences. But in what Blood Incantation has crafted through these songs is a remarkable expansion of their death metal material. Whereas past works may include a mix of brief and extended sections of ambient instrumentation, Timewave Zero shows the greater picture of cosmic wonder and eeriness the band can create. There may not be the typical metal instrumentation fans know them for – but in the domineering droning, distortion, and ambiance of this music – the band offers darkness that is alien and fascinating.

Blood Incantation is one of the most impressive bands working today in metal. On Timewave Zero, what the band trade-in are blast beats and killer riffs for an experience that transports the mind into a place of meditation; music that flows with a deceiving gentleness – calm, but also with an intensity that simmers, rises, and breaks through. Timewave Zero is a breathtaking work of psychedelic heaviness and a great chapter in heavy music’s ever-expanding definition.