The Scalar Process – Agnomysticism
Release Date: 29th May 2026
Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Technical Death Metal, Progressive Death Metal, Atmospheric Death Metal.
FFO: Fallujah, The Zenith Passage, Rivers of Nihil, Virvum, Beyond Creation, Entheos, The Faceless, Inferi.
Review By: Rick Farley
French progressive/technical death metal transcendent, The Scalar Process have returned with their staggering new album Agnomysticism being released via Transcending Obscurity Records. Unleashing May 29th, 2026, the dreamlike atmosphere has been elevated considerably from their debut album Coagulative Matter. The technical brutality remains, but this is a significant upgrade in sound with richer progressive and atmospheric textures that takes this album deep into the cosmos.
Agnomysticism is a modern and melodic approach to technical death much in the same way that Fallujah has taken. Huge airy, world building atmospheres that’s melded with intricate, crisp guitars lines and aggressive drums presented in an engaging way that tightly shreds with fever but doesn’t sound like it’s just overkill wankery. The album has great balance between hyper-technical prowess, spellbinding ambiance, and memorability. You can clearly tell these guys are proficient musicians, but truth be told the fluid songwriting outshines the technical performance, for me at least. This record flows and glides beautifully with so much sombre allure and hooky songcraft that you’ll be completely lost in its journey soaked aura for the duration.
Speaking solely for myself, in this day and age straight tech-death can be a complete bore-fest, it’s been beat to the ground so much it’s hard to know what band you’re actually listening to. The Scalar Process despite having a familiar sound that’s reminiscent of a couple different bands, they in many ways use their progressive elements and heaviness slightly differently. Enough so that their own personality comes out in a fresher way. It’s not groundbreaking by any means, but it works. The sci-fi feel of ethereal atmosphere puts the emphasis on mood and emotion first. That’s not to say that this isn’t brutal sounding because it surely is, it’s just a lot more musical and floatier in places; it naturally breathes just as easily as it crushes, which allows the listener to get swept up in its otherworldly, mysticism. It’s got guitar groove and jazzy interludes that push the tracks in more interesting ways as opposed to just shredding mechanical complexity to dust. Harsh, shouty growls, amongst meditative textures and thrashy, chuggy riffs that spider off in weblike forms builds an aural contrast similar to that of a warring alien race on a lush yet mysterious world. The grace of its piercing chaos is mesmerizing. A lot to sink into.
However, at the end of the day, this is still a progressive, technical death metal album, which will be unfairly compared to Fallujah a lot of the time, I even did it earlier. Although similar, The Scalar Process feels a little more engaging and musical to me, which makes it an easier listen that’s highly replayable in my opinion. Either way, if atmospheric tech-death is your jam, I can guarantee you’re going to like this. It has great production, accomplished songwriting, huge soundscapes, and a listenable brutality that makes it one of the more intriguing albums from the genre I’ve heard in quite some time. There’s enough blazing ferocity from each member, even the most finicky tech-death fans will be impressed. Their artistic growth from the first album to Agnomysticism is a considerable one, so you’re going to be hearing a lot about these guys in days to come. Get on board now.
(4 / 5)
