Shabti from Maine, USA release their third album, «Haze, Cacophony, and White Light», which came out on August 21, 2026 via Contemn Light Records. The trio plays progressive death metal with a strong technical bent, no detours: from the first second Rob Cook’s roar and Ray Capizzo’s drums sweep you along.
Country: USA (Maine)
Genre: Progressive Death Metal / Melodic Death Metal
For fans of: Death, Blood Incantation, Cynic, Atheist
The listen
The album opens with «Ambrosia and Lamb’s Blood», a track that hits immediately, then relaxes into more measured compositions with groovy basslines. The progressive moments serve as breaths between the general intensity — from «A Weary Creation» to the doom-shadowed section of «Blood for a Blessing».
Brendan Hayter’s bass is the real protagonist: it rolls everywhere, meshes seamlessly with the drums and comes to the front whenever the vocals are absent. The production by Aaron Charles and Dan Lowndes keeps every instrument clear even at the most chaotic points. The only complaint is the overly loud snare sound in places, but when the music is this good, that takes a back seat.
Shabti deliver an album full of substance behind the noise, with «A Weary Creation», «Blood for a Blessing» and «Rise of the Shabti» as reference points.
See also
Ænigmatum – Infinitude’s Passage · MISCREANCE – Reminiscence
