© Last Episode 2001
SCEPTIC
Pathetic Being
Technical Death Metal fans take note! SCEPTIC is back with their second disc, and I can detect no evidence of a sophomore slump on Pathetic Being. This CD has all of the elements that I praised in my review of Blind Existence plus a few additional positive features. SCEPTIC is still playing their brand of Death Metal influenced by latter day DEATH and ATHEIST, but the production has improved considerably. The snare drum no longer sounds like someone beating on a cardboard box in their mom's basement, and Pathetic Being has an overall richer, fuller sound. The bass has a more metallic and jarring sound which I don't necessarily think of as an improvement, but it is nice to be able to hear some of the more clearly defined cool bass runs on this disc.When I first heard this disc, I was a bit disappointed in what I perceived to be a reduction in the amount of technicality inherent in the song structures. I have since changed my mind about this, and I now think that Pathetic Being is just as technical as Blind Existence. I believe my initial disappointment was probably due to the fact that Pathetic Being has more catchy, chugging riffage than does Blind Existence, and I attributed that to a reduction in musical complexity. After listening to this disc many times, I can now fully appreciate the excellent mix of energetic, chunky riffs and the more intricate segments that pop up in every song. This interplay has convinced me that Pathetic Being is a slightly better disc than Blind Existence.
Although the guitarwork on this disc is wonderful, the highlight of Pathetic Being really is the drumming. The presence of the constant fills and time changes is the primary reason for labeling SCEPTIC as Technical Death Metal and allowing them to sit among the other giants in the subgenre such as CYNIC, THEORY IN PRACTICE, MARTYR, GORY BLISTER, DISSONANCE, ACID DEATH, NECROPHAGIST, and, of course, DEATH and ATHEIST.
Pathetic Being consists of ten tracks. Seven of the tunes are excellent examples of SCEPTIC at their best. There is a short acoustic intro that, as is often the case, is quite pointless. "Particles of Time" is a slower, more melodic instrumental that is decent, but it is not as good as the rest of the songs. A cover of the NOCTURNUS tune "Arctic Crypt" is also included. This song holds pretty true to the original except that no keyboards are present, and it fits well alongside the original tunes.
All fans of Technical Death Metal simply must own this disc. It might end up being my favorite release of 2001. I hope they continue to release many more impressive discs in the years to come.
Editor's rating: 9
Contributed by John Frank
