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One word comes to mind after inhaling the debut release from the Minnesota based band Coherent Liquid Form: Wow.

Boasting their take on extreme metal as “dark melodic death grind”, this incredibly talented band’s debut release New Existence is a hearty serving of some very familiar formulas fused together with excellent production and stylish progression within its 11 intelligently constructed songs. With influences ranging from the American death metal scene, to Sweden and virtually all areas of heavy music, the four members of Coherent Liquid Form deliver an abundance of material displaying their expertise in playing an impressive array of the sounds that define metal’s finest moments. Each member is as confident as they are proficient in their contributions to this sensorial flurry.

Listening to New Existence is almost like witnessing the creation a veritable Frankenstein’s monster set to ravage the world around it. The core of Coherent Liquid Form’s sound is predominantly played in the style of clean black metal. Dueling melodic-toned guitars shredding out razor-sharp, frostbitten riffs carried by the screeching rasps of vocalist/guitarist Matt Adnerson. I was reminded of Nemesis Divina era Satyricon and Immortal’s discography from At the Heart of Winter and beyond.

Bits and pieces are added to the beast in creation as the album advances. The opening track Divergent Reality breaks down to a grinding passage at several points and even has some clean vocals drowning in a pool of ghostly resonation. The next song introduces familiar Gothenburg procedures in the distinct melodic-death style guitar work and machine gun drumming that will take you back to In Flames’ Dead Eternity.

Ignorance of Insanity strays from the previous songs by massing a brutal assault with jerky riffs and drumming that induces a welcome case of mental motion sickness.

It is not until we reach the seventh tune on the album that we get a taste of what this band is truly capable of. Using a flawless transitional approach made popular in metal by groups like Opeth, the title track of the album kicks in with a melodic lead but reaches the point where it is shifting so swiftly from sound to sound that it will leave your head spinning. At this point the pinnacle of Coherent Liquid Form’s sound has been achieved; I expect this to be the kind of song we will be hearing more of in this band’s future. This is the kind of material that is going to take this group’s overflowing potential and ambition as high as they please.

I highly recommend that anyone who is even remotely interested in extreme music purchase this album. I can’t remember the last time I was this impressed!