Style: Progressive death metal, technical death metal (harsh vocals)
For fans of: Rivers of Nihil, Black Crown Initiate, Alluvial
Country: United Kingdom
Release date: May 1, 2026
In Light, No Shape is a homogeneous slab of indifferent and undistinguished, down-tuned riffs. With ten songs, all under four and a half minutes, each following a similar structure, the tracks blur into each other, making the album drag. While progressive music isn’t defined simply by extended song lengths, there is an inherent complexity and experimentation that must be present. Successful progressive death metal creates a dynamic emotional contrast between the brutal orchestration and the vocals with subtle elements of beauty. In Light, No Shape , however, provides anything but a dynamic listening experience, as Cognizance combine repetitive riffs with minimal variation in intensity.
Guitarists Baillie and Apostolis rely too heavily on harmonizing riffs in an attempt to enrich the intrigue in their songwriting. However, the indifferent and monotonous sting on “Transient Fixations”, “Inflection Chants” and “A Game of Proliferation” isn’t masked by this approach. While the riffs often feel disconnected, Cognizance also struggle to close out their songs on In Light, No Shape . The endings of “Inflection Chants” and “Subterranean Incantation” wander along with a tiring drag – turning my boredom into outright annoyance – while the album-closing “The Zone” ends abruptly, with an unsatisfying conclusion. Frustratingly, when Cognizance hit their stride, such as the satisfying, powerful groove that opens “Vertical Illusion”, they absurdly, abruptly snap back into unstoppable chugs, extinguishing the brief momentum that was building.
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This doesn’t mean Cognizance fail entirely. The boredom of In Light, No Shape is interrupted by “The Chasm”, a more thrilling track that combines interesting technical riffs, ethereal atmosphere and (actually interesting!) guitar harmonization. Recalling the twists of Decapitated‘s riff-heavy “Day 69”, “Reconfiguration” opens with otherworldly, spiraling guitars that create an ominous atmosphere. The guitar solos, though scattered throughout the album, are consistently captivating. Often brief, they strike like lightning and vanish without weighing down from unnecessary selfish indulgences. David Diepold’s drumming is a consistent escape from blastbeats, groove-filled fills and double-bass kicks executed with just the right touch of restrained chaos. Baillie’s growl is effective and consistent, though it doesn’t offer much variety. Alongside the unnecessary riffs, his monotonous harsh vocals add to the mild uniformity that characterizes In Light, No Shape .
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Ultimately, In Light, No Shape lacks too many dynamic contrasts. Integrating acoustic passages, significant tempo changes or melodic guitar harmonies over the down-tuned riffs would have beautifully broken up the monotonous performance of Cognizance . Boredom is not a word I associate with progressive death metal at all, but it perfectly describes my experience with In Light, No Shape. Let me take this as a lesson, trust no one… especially not a promise from promotional material.
Recommended tracks: Inflection Chants, Chasm, Vertical Illusion
You may also like: Xenobiotic, Soreption, Omnivortex, Defaced, Phasma
Final verdict: Mediocre
Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Label: Willowtip Records
Cognizance are:
– Alex Baillie (vocals, guitars)
– Apostolis Karydis (guitars)
– Chris Binns (bass)
– David Diepold (drums)
