The current single from The Zenith Passage, ‘Fleshbound Reliquary’, isn’t big on accessible melodies, but approached from a purely technical perspective, it’s hard to beat. From the outset, the track comes with absolutely brutal rhythmic work, both from a pneumatic drum part and from some insanely heavy muted guitar chords which come together in such a way, they make the sharp prog metal of peak Symphony X seem half-arsed. Add a little hard edged slap bass and a deeper chug and you already have something that’s absolutely brutal before the death metal influenced vocal arrives.

Beyond that, you’ll find various passages where the band drop into insanely technical prog metal, where harmonic guitar sounds occasionally offset the potentially oppressive heaviness, a dark keyboard sound leaning a little further into drone based influences, and a couple of nods to classic death metal. Those hoping to find a little more melody en route will also discover a relatively old school lead guitar break, where clean tones offset the track’s heavier moments brilliantly with a very 80s tone. Everything combined creates something that’s challenging, but ultimately flawless, taking the roots of Meshuggah to the next level.

Thirteen years into their career, Zenith Passage certainly aren’t playing safely. ‘Fleshbound Reliquary’ is challenging, but it also has the potential to be one of the band’s finest recordings to date.