Band:	Outer Heaven
Album:	Infinite Psychic Depths
Style:	Death metal
Release date:	July 2023

01. Soul Remnants
02. Pillars Of Dust [feat. J.R. Hayes]
03. Fragmented Suspension
04. Drained Of Life
05. Liquified Mind
06. Unspeakable Aura [feat. Tabitha Rudy]
07. Rotting Stone / D.M.T. [feat. Dave Suzuki]
08. Starcrusher [feat. Steve Tucker]
09. Pallasite Chambers [feat. Alexander Jones]
10. Warped Transcendence
11. From Nothingness To Eternity [feat. Brody Uttley]

Yep, this album is from Outer Heaven, alright. If you want brutal and heavy death metal, well, you certainly have plenty of that here.

Outer Heaven are a death metal band (originally death doom) that formed back in the U.S. in 2013. But it wasn't until 2018 that the band eventually presented to us their debut album Realms Of Eternal Decay, and what a nasty, vile death metal release we had there. So, five years later, here they are again, presenting to us their second full-length release, Infinite Psychic Depths. Other than the main line-up, which includes Austin Haines (lead vocalist), Zak Carter and Jon Kunz (guitars), Derrick Vella (bass), and Paul Chrismer (drums), Infinite Psychic Depths also features a whopping array of incredible death metal performers from over the years. This impressive guest list includes; Dave Suzuki (Vital Remains) and Brody Uttley (Rivers Of Nihil) as additional guitar players, as well as additional vocals from Alexander Jones (Undeath), Steve Tucker (Morbid Angel), and J.R. Hayes (Pig Destroyer/Agoraphobic Nosebleed). So, with this extra muscle added to an already beefy line-up, what can we expect from Outer Heaven's sophomore release, exactly?

Well, I have to start by saying Infinite Psychic Depths is, without a doubt, one of the heaviest sounding and most bone-crushingly brutal releases you'll hear throughout this year. What you ultimately have here is eleven devastating death metal tracks with a total runtime of forty-five minutes and influences ranging from Suffocation, Immolation, and Incantation to Entombed, Bloodbath, and Cannibal Corpse. Not only does Outer Heaven bring to you a release that's as heavy and groovy as it is brutal and technical, but it also conveys a remarkably intelligent theme centred around cosmology, horror, and disease-ridden, ravenous environments through their impeccable songwriting prowess.

"Soul Remnants" starts the album off in such almighty, brutal fashion, making it evidently clear which direction this album is heading towards. The rhythm section begins at a frantic tempo, with thunderous rhythmic drum beats pounding away from the outset. But, if you think the drumming is heavy on this opener, wait until you hear the Earth-shattering drum beats on "Starcrusher" later on. The powerful drumming, of course, is accompanied by some immensely deep, heavy bass-work, which is an incredibly noticeable element throughout the mix. The dynamics between the twin-guitar method is also staggering, with the rapid technical shredding leads going hand-in-hand with the mid-tempo slogging. Now, add the demonically deep growls, which couldn't sound more beastly if they came from an angry Godzilla, and the album is surely off to a powerful start.

The tremendously powerful guitar tone plays a major factor here on the album's incredible sound and really gives the impression that those riffs are coming down on you like a ton of bricks. There are occasions throughout, in which you'll even hear the Swedish buzzsaw effect ripping its way through. From the thrashy, ferocious leads of "Rotting Stone / D.M.T." to the strikingly groovy riff patterns of "Pallasite Chambers" and "Warped Transcendence", the album pretty much has the guitar-work covered from all aspects of the death metal genre. Whereas the heavy, groovy riff patterns give you a cross between Cannibal Corpse's The Bleeding, and Bloodbath's Nightmares Made In Flesh, the more frenzied riffs give off the technical wizardry and ferocity of Suffocation's Pierced From Within.

Now, if you think this album is going to let off some steam at any point, think again. In fact, the only time there's a hint of a breather from this brutal mayhem is through the short, slow-to-mid-tempo sections that you'll find midway on the tracks "Soul Remnants", and "Unspeakable Aura". These passages also provide soft, haunting vocals from several of those various guest vocalists.

All-in-all, I would say these death metallers just about have it all covered, bringing together every aspect of death metal throughout the years. However, the forty-five-minute running length can cause the slightest issue for some, and several tracks do feel like they run their course. I suppose the question is: how much of this can you take in that duration of time without your head splitting in two?