Job For A Cowboy - Sun Eater

Love 'em or hate 'em, it's new technical death metal from those plucky Arizonans, Job For A Cowboy.You have to hand it to Glendale's Job For A Cowboy (JFAC); they've been plugging away at making their place in the metal community for over a decade now and, while still polarizing amongst critics, they seem to finally be coming into their own as a technical death metal band worthy of attention, something ably exemplified on their sixth studio album, Sun Eater.

While I tend to avoid bands with logos that look like something Dexter Morgan would be examining at a crime scene, I have come across JFAC's music before and been mildly intrigued. They're not breaking down any genre barriers or reinventing anything, but they do know how to throw down some heavy tunage, even topping it with some pretty sweet solos from Al Glassman and Tony Sannicandro, such as what's heard on The Stone Cross (1:23) or The Synthetic Sea (2:21). And it's nice to hear bassist Nick Schendzielos in the mix as many such productions can get a bit sludgey with the weight of the rhythym section needed to support most genre guitarists' wall of sound approach. But producer Jason Suecof does an impressive job of keeping even the most crazy runs listenable as well as heavy as fuck.

The Bottom Line: Fans of Job For A Cowboy will likely find even more to like about this evolving band, while newcomers looking for a good technical deathmetal fix should be pleasantly surprised what they find on Sun Eater. Bon appétit, motherfuckers!

- Genghis may need a new pair of headphones soon...