Well, at least CANCER VOID had the balls to call its dreaded intro track ‘Introduction’, so there’s that going for the quintet already. Synths surround and oscillate, and I’m sure this dungeon synth gone Windham Hill sampler is going to sound nothing whatsoever like the actual tunes on here, so let’s just get through this and move on, shall we? You’re already spending nearly 2 minutes of a record that’s less than 20 farting around like the bastard chillun’ of Vangelis and Mortiis.

Echoes of INCANTATION permeate ‘Breeding Pyramids’, and the sound is surprisingly organic given the precursor. There’s some cosmic mining being done here, and the early CANDLEMASS drum sound during the slower sections doesn’t hurt when it comes to creating dynamics. Many have sought but few have approached Jan Lindh’s signature sound from the hallowed first three by the epic doom forefathers, but this comes close as any.

‘Encased In Veins’ collapses in on itself, and the vocals are of that guttural spew so common in death metal but rendered here with elements of the truly hysteric and diabolical that render them enjoyable, if you’re into that sort of thing. While the carnage seems to drag on for much longer than the 3:57 of the song, it adds to the sense of “lostness”, of disorientation, and succeeds for it.

I’ll just bet you’re never gonna guess what the interlude is called. We’re back in space, but we’re slightly uncomfortable now due to what’s come before, and spend the time looking furtively over our shoulders or scanning the horizon for the collapsing star by which we’re sure to be devoured.
I’m hip to this synth thing with you guys now, so by the time we get to ‘Ammonian Baths’ I’m ready to rage.

Ending with ‘Cosmic Caverns Of Extinction’, a rumbling GRAVE / DISMEMBER groove at times, a GORGUTS-ian sprawl at others, First Metastasis manages to carve the good parts of Sunlight Studios death, Floridian ooze and tech-tinged terror into something – while not wholly original – definitely worthwhile.
Review By: Lord Randall

CANCER VOID
First Metastasis
Me Saco Un Ojo Records / Iron Fortress Records

Stream First Metastasis