BENTHOS

II ECLIPSE

Italian math metallers stick too close to the source code

There’s an expectation that you’ll wear your influences on your sleeves on your debut. Despite its title implying a sophomore effort, II adheres to that preconception, sifting through contemporary prog to cherry-pick its best bits. Benthos specialise in tech metal chops whirring beneath soaring clean vocals, their mix of melody and math comparable to Caligula’s Horse and Tesseract. The occasional destructive, growling breakdowns channel Meshuggah and even the artwork feels Coheed And Cambria-ish. It’s derivative, yet the sheer talent and vocal grace on display makes these Italians inherently likeable. Given more time to find a unique sound, they could become scene heavy hitters. ■■■■■■■■■■

FOR FANS OF: Haken, Tesseract, Hypno5e

MATT MILLS