Band:	Ingested
Album:	Where Only Gods May Tread
Style:	Brutal death metal, Deathcore
Release date:	August 2020

01. Follow The Deceiver
02. No Half Measures
03. Impending Dominance
04. The List
05. The Burden Of Our Failures [feat. Vincent Bennett]
06. Dead Seraphic Forms
07. Another Breath [feat. Kirk Windstein]
08. Blackpill [feat. Matt Honeycutt]
09. Forsaken In Desolation
10. Leap Of The Faithless

Thankfully, you don't need to be a god in order to tread here.

With ties to deathcore outfit Annotations Of An Autopsy and slam band Crepitation, it's no surprise that Ingested prominently feature aspects of both, resulting in a rapid-fire bludgeoning assault of their signature rage-fueled death metal. Having spent years honing their craft as a violently cohesive unit with a stable lineup dating back to 2006, the inherent expectation of maturity and professionalism that comes with one's optimistic desire for growth and positive change is healthily reciprocated in full, as Where Only Gods May Tread is, without doubt, the band's most rounded release to date.

One example of this forward-thinking approach comes with "Another Breath" -- a song specifically written with featured guest Kirk Windstein (of Crowbar renown) in mind to handle the emotional weight required. That self-awareness and understanding of personal limitations, courtesy of guitarist/vocalist Sam Yates, just goes to show the depth of thought that went in to creating this. And while its innovation and originality are somewhat lacking when considered on a larger scale, their sound is still uniquely theirs, bringing forth a welcome voice that would rather expand on what makes the brutal sub-genre an enjoyable listening experience, instead of simply rehashing what's already been churned out en masse over the past couple decades.

While not specifically melodic, technical, or groovy, thanks to a rapidly alternating approach that varies from mid-paced chugging to mach 5 turboblasting and loves to set aside time to explore the evocative areas in between, there are still recurring elements of those things that help engage the listener throughout its 50 minute duration -- time that goes by a lot more quickly than anticipated for this type of material. Rather than focusing each song on a particular idea, those ideas instead surround the entirety of the album, with multifaceted riffs and drops designed to keep you guessing. And the production quality, despite its modernity, does provide some added crunch to the guitars without smothering Lyn Jeffs' subtle cymbal play, so you won't be covered in plastic residue by the time you make your way through this.

For a modern sounding death metal album with nods to its familial genres, Where Only Gods May Tread is about as good as it gets. It may not be hall of fame material, but it serves as a positive contributor on a year that absolutely deserves treading on.