About four years ago, when I was writing my EOY list for 2019, I had placed Immortal Bird’s album, Thrive on Neglect, near the bottom of the list because I had a very short listening span with it. When I first heard Thrive on Neglect, I knew that there was some gold there; this had been the first “traditional” death metal record I had enjoyed in a long while, mainly because it didn’t sound like death metal. Now, after five long years, Immortal Bird returns with their third album, Sin Querencia, which expands on the themes explored on Thrive on Neglect.

Before diving in, I want to focus on Immortal Bird’s album name conventions. Thrive on Neglect is, thematically, an album about thriving despite being neglected, whether it is by family, institutions, or society in general. Building on these themes, we now have “sin querencia,” which holds two meanings. The first is the translation of the word “querencia,” from the Spanish “querer,” meaning “to want” (“querer” is also used in the context of love, but it refers to the equivalent of having fondness for someone, as opposed to loving someone, which is “amar”). The other meaning of the word “querencia” is the idea of returning to a favorite yet safe place, where one can let their defenses down. With this mind, “sin querencia” translates to “without want” or “anywhere but home.”

Sin Querencia starts with the darkly melodic “Bioluminescent Toxins,” which not only showcases Immortal Bird’s expanded musical range, but also their intensity. While the song does start slowly, the rest is rhythmic and antagonistic, as if preparing for a fight. Yet, during the middle, we see more of Rae Amitay’s vocal prowess, singing in a cleaner tone. It seems Immortal Bird took a page from Ithaca’s book by having Amitay sing cleanly. The comparison is apt. Both bands use hardcore as the main base for their sound. It struck me that this passage clearly reminded me so much of They Fear Us‘s “In The Way.” Then, the music shifts into “Plastered Sainthood,” and all comparisons to Ithaca are dashed. Here, the music is heavy, harrowing, and relentless, each part building off another until only frenetic energy is left. “Plastered Sainthood” also seems to bounce on the balls of its feet. It can’t contain itself from showing how it transforms the second the music begins to slow down. Sin Querencia is filled with musical shifts. It uses false stops and pauses to give itself room to breathe. Then it changes into something else, something defensive.

Yet, after repeated listens, Sin Querencia‘s main issue is the weight of its own details. For an album whose complexity belies its runtime, it can quickly become exhausting. The music tends to slow down in places. However, its energy never truly diminishes. It always stays close to full throttle. After several listens, there’s a risk that the songs might bleed into one another. This can lead one to wonder if you have been hearing the same track for the entirety of the runtime. While there are indicators that you are listening to different tracks – Amitay’s punk vocals indicate the middle of “Ocean Endless,” while “Synthetic Alliances” has a certain groove that shifts into blast beats while also incorporating heavy synths – the tracks tend to bleed into each other. This bleed lessens towards the latter half of the record, as Immortal Bird has given itself more to experiment. Although the first half can be an endurance test, Sin Querencia‘s second half is a fantastic payoff. After all, how do you get to the heart of a record if you don’t listen to everything?

Sin Querencia is a harsh, defensive album. It shows you how ugly and vitriolic it can be. However, it hides its strengths once you get past the vitriol. Despite its issues, this is a whirlwind of a record. It shows the testament of Immortal Bird. Their creativity and experimentation are evident in their pursuits. If anything, Sin Querencia is a commentary of our perceived reality, and how, despite everything, hope continues to exist. Come for the death metal, stay for the heart at the bottom of it all.

— Hera

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Sin Querencia will be available October 18 on 20 Buck Spin. For more information on Immortal Bird, visit their Facebook and Instagram pages.