Visitant waste no time making things uncomfortable on Rubidium. From the opening seconds of “Unworldly,” they plunge into angular riffing and precise rhythmic shifts that feel more calculated than volatile. It’s a bold first impression — sharp-edged, emotionally strained, and clearly uninterested in making the listener feel at ease.
Across its seven tracks, Rubidium operates like a hostile landscape. “Briars” and “Starless” offer layered tension — riff work that’s complex but never indulgent, vocals that drip with venom, and drums that never lock into a specific groove. The title track leans into dissonance, drawing out sections with haunting patience before crashing them down again. It’s in tracks like “Envy’s Lament” that the band flex real emotional weight — not through melody, but through restraint and unnerving dynamic shifts.
Despite its technical edge, Rubidium doesn’t feel clinical. The production is crisp and modern, each element has its own defined space in the mix, and the performances carry a human intensity. Guitars stab and shimmer, the drumming is impressively reactive, and the vocals are raw without being monotonous. Even “Moon Bathe,” the two-minute closer, leaves a mark — more of an exhale than an epilogue, but just as unsettling as what came before.
Rubidium is a tightly-wound, cerebral slab of modern dissonant death metal with a distinctly unearthly voice. Fans of Ulcerate, Artificial Brain, and Convulsing will find plenty to sink into here — just don’t expect comfort. Visitant aren’t here to soothe; they’re here to stare you down until you blink.
Overall Score: 8/10
Review by: Aaron Vage
