Supreme Conception: Supreme Tech-Death

If the phrase “Empires of the Mind” conjures images of consciousness-expanding, physics-defying, Escher-esque absurdities, well, then you’re already on the right wavelength for Empires of the Mind, the new EP from Supreme Conception. Press materials compares the Czech tech-death project to bands like Obscura, Decrepit Birth, and Archspire — and it’s not just hype.

On the single “Harboring the Fractured Transcendence,” the band weaves an intricate, twisty knot from perpetually-constricting barbwire that expertly balances show-offy musicianship with top-notch songwriting; Empires of the Mind features compositions that are absolutely EPIC, but the EP itself never sounds overproduced. Tech-death is such a tricky thing to pull off — to make something angry and black-belt-level methodological with ever getting lost in the dreaded “riff salad.”

Listen to “Harboring the Fractured Transcendence” below. According to the band, the track “deals with knowledge transfer throughout history and is dedicated to Hypatia, who once led the Great Library of Alexandria and was ahead of her time, only to be killed by a mob of Christians, because of a feud with Cyril, the bishop of Alexandria. Cyril was canonized by his church, while Hypatia has mostly been forgotten.” They actually made a movie about Hypatia, Agora, in 2009, with Rachel Weisz playing the mathematician/philosopher/astronomer. It wasn’t very good, but not because the story isn’t fascinating. I’m saying if you dig this song as much as I know you will, maybe look into her?

Empires of the Mind comes out August 6th. Pre-order it here.