Starting as a side project before evolving into a fully fledged touring band – Rings Of Saturn enterprised their way into the deathcore history books. Known for their thematic, brain melting musicianship, Gidim is the bands latest chapter in their story of extreme music proficiency. Despite their pre-existing fandom, Rings of Saturn are still a band with a lot to prove. Deathcore at this point in time is arguably more over saturated than it’s ever been. Despite this, they still manage to pull themselves apart from any tropes the genre might hold. Gidim introduces itself as a fine liner underneath this point – using discordant overtones, vocal frys and even a harpsichord all the way through the album. The harpsichord being perhaps a tonal metaphoric representation of what similarities deathcore and metal as a whole shares with the baroque period of music. Where Rings of Saturn’s musicianship aligns best with their song writing craft is in ‘Divine Authority’, with its gated riffs, usually more synonymous with, for want of a better word ‘Djent’ styled bands. It features the dark sinister guitar lines Rings of Saturn are more famous for producing alongside an Inspector Gadget styled guitar line, whether intentional or not seemingly adds depth and respite to the track as a whole. In between as expected come the crashing mathematic solos with classic gutural screams that have become a staple of the deathcore genre. ‘Bloated and Stiff’ has some of the best sweep picking riffs Rings Of Saturn have penned to date, and is a one-stop example of the kind of guitar based prowess that flows through Gidim. Every element on show here works, but the guitars stand out like a crow at a pigeon Park, ending with a beautiful acoustic section which brings us to the galloping, triplet filled ‘Tormented Consciousness’. It’s a track filled with despair focused on threatening vocals with the first real presentation of vocal frying breaking up what could have been a boring listen. ‘Genetic Inheritance’ is another track that showcases the ability of the bands instrumentation and musicianship. Four minutes of rolling riffs, blast beats and double kicks, with the added spice of a sinister, horror like piano that crops up now and to add a flavour of unpredictability into the mix. Sonically this is not necessarily the conventional type of musical flurries we are used to from Rings Of Saturn, but it’s one that allows a different pace and urgency in the lyricism that pairs with and enhances the song to another level. Gidim is a short release with a lot to say for itself, standing ground alongside genre titans Thy Art Is Murder, Whitechapel, and Chelsea Grin. But what sets Rings of Saturn apart from the rest is the bands ability to blend experimental musicianship with the staple sounds of the genre, of which, produce a rich, engaging listen for any fan of Metal this harsh. Score: 7/10 Facebook:/Ringsofsaturnband Twitter: @RingsOfSaturn_