I was almost ready to hand out a minus point to Sagen for using that sterile AI-generated album art alone. Why they would want to use AI art is beyond me as it will often fail to represent musical themes well, like the Salem Witch Trials that Roots of Proctor is based on. Thankfully, the music itself is anything but sterile (though it also too does little to follow the theme). While Deathcore in expression and production, Roots of Proctor is more Death Metal in technique. This might not seem like much but this marks a crucial difference in that Sagen show that they are not one of the Deathcore bands that rely on breakdowns to save every song. Starting with “Gallows Hill”, Sagen show a penchant for some very headbang-able riffs that sometimes are introduced by light acoustic work and echoed well in a more crushing form. The Deathcore influence pushes the songs one step harder in key moments, providing contrast rather than trying to beat the listener down all the time.
Also adding to the variety is a vocalist that goes through a variety of growls, shrieks, shouted cleans (great ones in “Flood Gates”), and the occasional pig squeal. Though, the 49 minute album can be a bit hard to sit through repeatedly as the loud production makes the later tracks blend together. A slightly softer production could make the guitar leads stand out more, which would give Sagen a great favor in standing out further from the crowd, As it stands, I will still recommend Roots of Proctor, as it is better than competent and the band has room for growth. Work that variety, work with a better visual artist, play to your strengths in sound, and I’ll gladly check out Sagen‘s next work.
