Cognitive-Cognitive

Self-Release/Independent
2014

Hailing from South Jersey (no jokes please) and now fronted by former Due For Extinction member Jorel Hart, Cognitive is a up-and-coming death metal band that has already shared the stage with the likes of Between the Buried and Me, Cattle Decapitation, Suffocation, Broken Hope, Wretched, Misery Index and Origin (among countless others!). Formed in 2011, with rhythm guitarist Rob Wharton (ex-The Adept, ex-Doomsday Machine Schematic, ex-Waking the Cadaver) and lead guitarist Jake Iannaco (ex-Amorphic Form, ex-Putrid Abscess) now the sole original members, Cognitive's first release came out one year later in the form of  the EP, "The Horrid Swarm". Remixed and partly re-recorded last year in order to include the band's new and improved front-man, Jorel Hart (I'm absolutely loving his near guttural, cookie monster-like vocals!), 2012's "The Horrid Swarm" originally featured the services of (now former) lead singer Scheenier Ramirez, but for these heavy hometown favorites (who are rounded out by bassist Art Sikora and drummer Mike Castro) it's all about moving progressively forward with each new recording. On the band's self-titled debut that much is clear as this 10-track, 30 minute plus release is as technical as is destructive with well thought out and constructed passages highlighted by razor sharp guitar solos that cut clean, but still leave plenty of blood behind! Featuring two instrumentals in "Oceanic Erosion" and "Affliction Humanity", "Cognitive" is the right kind of recording to get these New Jersey metalheads noticed as it shines a bright light on all aspects of this band. Cognitive has all sorts of deadly skills at it's disposal and the band has just the right kind of brutal death approach to appeal to a wide range of death metal purists. With the right kind of marketing and push a band like this could make a decent run for it, but ultimately only time will tell.