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It’s hard to imagine that Job For A Cowboy<\/a><\/strong> started as the deathcore band that birthed the infamous “preheat pizza roles<\/a>” meme with “Entombment of a Machine” and a classic Spongebob Mashup<\/a> with “Knee Deep.” The band’s progression out of the 2005 Doom<\/em> era has been marked by a clear desire to disprove the naysayers who derided them as trendy MySpace kids. As Jonny Davy<\/strong> became the only founding member, Job For A Cowboy<\/a><\/strong><\/strong> successfully transitioned into a staple of modern death metal. But as their previous album Sun Eater<\/em> suggests, they still had more to express. Now on Moon Healer<\/em>, Job For A Cowboy<\/a><\/strong><\/strong> completes their progressive vision. This album is full-on death metal for nerds, and it’s hard to deny how solid it is.<\/p>\n Suffice it to say that Job For A Cowboy<\/a><\/strong><\/strong>‘s latest release is prog-death metal, not tech-death. As an opening statement of intent, the opening track “Beyond The Chemical Doorway” comes through with complex grooves and atmospheric chord progressions to match Tony Sannicandro<\/strong>‘s dazzling guitar solos and Nick Schendzielos<\/strong>‘s acrobatic bass lines. There’s still room for blast beats, sweep picking, and breakdowns, but it’s clear that Job For A Cowboy<\/a><\/strong><\/strong> wants to do more than shred. This desire to push themselves as arrangers pays dividends throughout the album.<\/p>\n Unlike many prog bands, Job For A Cowboy<\/a><\/strong> <\/strong>keeps the majority of these songs under five minutes. This relative restraint allows cuts like “Etched In Oblivion” to make their statement without getting too indulgent. It’s also here where Sannicandro and rhythm guitarist Al Glassman<\/strong> forsake chugs in favor of winding mazes of dense harmony and dissonant texture (and seriously, listen to Schendzielos<\/strong>‘s bass. It’s so delicious). Coupling that with the evolving syncopations of drummer Navene Koperweis<\/strong> results in songs more akin to Gorguts<\/a><\/strong> or Cynic<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n \n