German collective Symbiontic combine the brutality of European death metal with the precision and playfulness of their American counterparts in a sound they describe as “like a punch in the teeth, but in a good way” and massive, eclectic and visceral.”
Symbiontic, who hail from North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany, first formed back in 2000, released two albums, Bioconstruct (2004) and Vaya (2005), playing some great shows and earning plenty of plaudits. They took a break in 2011 and reformed around a decade later for some recording sessions, which resulted in their latest album The Sun and the Darkness, released in 2023.
Describing the sound they’ve honed, the band told us: “If you like aggressive, high-energy music with brains and brawn. If you enjoy dark, morbid melodies. If you want technical Death Metal that still has heart. Then you should give us a listen.”
Our latest taste of this is Rise of the Morning Star, which was released earlier this month. It opens up with a light synth sound and laid-back percussion joined by a little guitar lick that gradually builds and develops into a huge wall of dramatic guitars and crushing drums. That feeds into a vicious opening verse led by intense vocals that continue as fast-paced guitars and drums kick in. They give way to a fun meandering lick that’s joined by powerful chorus vocals, ending with heavy guitars and drums teeing up an even more intense verse.
A second chorus drops into chugging guitars that continue in support of a delicious, prolonged, piercing guitar solo. The relentless pace drops with light guitars before a vicious growl and scream tee up a crushing conclusion. Also, the track is supported by an intriguing synthwave version, which offers a very different vibe.
On the track, the band said: “The reception has been fantastic. We’ve had a lot of positive feedback online, and playing it live for the first time last week was an absolute blast. Musically, Rise of the Morning Star is pure Symbiontic: fast, heavy, and aggressive, with a strong melodic edge. A huge part of why it sounds the way it does is thanks to Josh Schroeder. He’s best known for his work with Lorna Shore, Mental Cruelty, and King 810, and he’s the perfect match for our music. Josh completely understands our vision and knows exactly how to translate it into a mix. For us, he nailed the ultimate Symbiontic sound.”
As mentioned, Rise of the Morning Star follows the band’s return album The Sun and the Darkness, which is packed with more death metal goodness. That includes vicious tracks like The Last Mile, The Fool, Leech, which starts out with an epic instrumental intro, the brilliantly named Boneyard Bolero, and a personal favourite Embrace the Infinite, which you can check out in the lyric video below.
Symbiontic’s main songwriter Marcel has been heavily influenced by bands like Morbid Angel and Death, while fellow band member Flo is working on new material that they’re excited to discover. “There’s no strict lyrical concept,” the band explained. “Ideas often come spontaneously, inspired by books, dreams, or random thoughts. We’re drawn to paradoxes and contradictions, and we love the aesthetics of space and cosmic themes, which might play a bigger role in the future.”
Symbiontic are currently working on a new EP with the aforementioned Josh Schroeder, which should be released next year. Beyond that, they’re planning another full-length album and are looking for more gigs and a booking agent to ramp up their live show opportunities.
And the band added: “If you like our music, come see us live. The energy at our shows is on another level, and we always have a blast on stage. Despite the dark themes in our lyrics, we’re a fun-loving bunch who enjoy a good laugh. So come hang out, bang your head, and celebrate with us.”
You can follow Symbiontic on Facebook and Instagram, and check out their music on Spotify, Bandcamp, Apple Music and YouTube.
Listen to Symbiontic and more new bands on our Spotify playlists GigRadar Core and GigRadar Metal
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