Neuraxis The Thin Line Between

Death metal connoisseurs Neuraxis have ended their longtime stay on Canada's Galy Records with their latest release and Prosthetic Records debut, The Thin Line Between. The band's earlier grind-influenced days are fading more and more with each release, replaced almost entirely by the crisp, technical melodicism unveiled on recent Neuraxis releases. And with the well-executed elements of The Thin Line Between as perfect evidence--the precision drumming, the meticulously crafted and interwoven guitar lines, the intelligently apocalyptic lyrical topics--it would be blasphemous to categorize Neuraxis as anything other than one of modern death metal's premiere acts. Although Prosthetic might feel like a bit of a peculiar home for the band (surely labelmates like Century, The Minor Times, and The Acacia Strain are odd musical peers for a veteran death metal squad), the alliance proves to be quite symbiotic. Prosthetic gets to continue to pad its list of recent metal acts and Neuraxis is rewarded with a beautiful production job and increased exposure to those just outside of the die hard circle of metal fans. Weak moments and songwriting lulls are endangered species on The Thin Line Between, as Neuraxis rarely churns out anything short of metallic bliss. The album opener, "Darkness Prevails," bludgeons with thunderous drumming, yet remains curiously catchy on a foundation of thick, hook-like riffing. The precise drumming is brought even further into the disc's spotlight in "Dreaming the End," a track showcasing an abundance of fantastic blast-beat work. The title track and album centerpiece unleashes a relentless offering of pristine metal riff after pristine metal riff, pausing only once in its eight and a half minute duration for a breather in the form of a subtle melodic interlude. "The All and the Nothing" impresses with a soft acoustic intro tinged with delicate harmonics before shifting into a robust bass-driven groove. With The Thin Line Between, everyone--Neuraxis, Prosthetic, the listener--emerges victorious. Melodic death metal records aren't exactly rare in today's metal scene, but with Neuraxis' strong technical lean, remarkable execution, and consistently superior songwriting, records like The Thin Line Between are. Bottom Line: In The Thing Line Between, the recent chapter of Neuraxis' transformation from its grindier origins into a leading technical death metal act, the band does not fail to impress. This record's excellence speaks for itself. Death metal fans should not hesitate for a second to check this out.