by Cosmo LeeThe Amenta's second full-length is futuristic yet anachronistic. Its fizzy synths, brooding soundscapes, and micro-level editing employ state-of-the-art computing. But the approach is nothing new. Whenever machines and metal intertwine this tightly, the ghost of '90s industrial metal looms large. This record is perhaps the result had Fear Factory applied Demanufacture's technology to Soul of a New Machine's death metal. The Amenta are the death metal analogue to Anaal Nathrakh, and a less extreme, less mechanized cousin to fellow Australians the Berzerker. While the band pushes technology to the fullest, it underutilizes its own talents. The vocals are mostly monotonous yells. The drummer is dexterous, yet he either plays like a drum machine or has been quantized to sound like one. Guitars are the bright spot, outputting Morbid Angel-esque dissonance, chugging riffs, and sinuous melodies."Cancer" is deep and abstract, a true glimpse of the future. But for the most part, this record sounds like a '90s relic. It's gone through too many CPU cycles to be more than an aggressive video game soundtrack.