That Creeping Death named their sophomore album Boundless Domain seemingly speaks to how the Texas quintet continue to transmogrify into one of death metal’s strongest rising forces.

While anchored in the buzzsaw guitar damage and hardcore breakdowns of 2021’s The Edge of Existence EP, Creeping Death have also expanded their parameters to include eerily atmospheric intros, more progressive time shifts, and one big-time guest spot on the record’s “Intestinal Wrap” from Cannibal Corpse frontman George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher. And under the watch of producer and Killswitch Engage guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz, the songs are landing heavier than ever. The sonic possibilities from here seem endless.

Vocalist Reese Alavi doesn’t shut this theory down entirely, but they say the album title is more universal than the experience of writing a metal record. What Boundless Domain ultimately suggests is the unpredictable nature of life itself.

“To me, it sort of goes with the theme of the rest of the album, implying that anything is possible — whether it be good or bad,” the singer explains to Northern Transmissions. “In every life there are boundless outcomes!”

To that end, Alavi’s guttural growls on the album often reflect on being caught off-guard by random acts: the unexpected deaths of friends (its title track salutes late Power Trip vocalist and metal ambassador Riley Gale as a “unifier of madness”); a surprise, arrow-flinging defence strategy during the first century’s Battle of Carrhae (“The Parthian Shot”); or even the threat of nuclear-induced destruction (“Vitrified Earth”).

Ahead of the album’s June 16 release through MNRK Heavy, Alavi takes Northern Transmissions through what Creeping Death found in their Boundless Domain.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

NORTHERN TRANSMISSIONS: Boundless Domain is an evocative album title — confident; optimistic; ambitious. How does this title best reflect what Creeping Death wanted to accomplish for this latest release, or even through life in general?

REESE ALAVI: I’ll preface this by mentioning that the album name “Boundless Domain” spawned through the writing process of that [title] track, which I wrote as an ode to our friend Riley [Gale, the late singer of Power Trip]. We decided to go with that for the album title after the fact.

NT: Is it that the band felt it important to push themselves — or the genre — into new territory, or that you feel especially free to do whatever you want at this point in your career?

RA: I personally don’t think it’s that far off from typical death metal album titles —it might not sound “scary,” but [it] has kind of an ominous connotation to it. I also just don’t want everything we do to fit the typical description of a death metal band. On another note, though, I do feel free to do whatever. At the end of the day, when we create music it’s for ourselves. We want to love what we create before it pleases anyone else.

NT: From a vocal standpoint, were there any songs you felt pushed your vocal performance beyond your usual threshold?

RA: In terms of studio performance, every single track! I’ve never been pushed by anyone to have such clear annunciation than I was with Adam. I think he called me mush mouth through the talk-back around a dozen times.

NT: How different of an experience was it to have worked on the album with Adam, compared to earlier Creeping Death releases?

RA: So different! We’d never had that much time in the studio. We spent 21 days in San Diego and Vista recording this album, [and] having that much time allowed us to nitpick and really get a polished final product. [Adam] is also by far the most demanding person we’ve worked with. It was a blessing to hear “DO IT AGAIN” before I could even ask how the last take was.

NT: Were you a Killswitch Engage fan growing up?

RA: I wasn’t a huge Killswitch fan as a kid, but I definitely liked them. That band rocks! Eric [Mejia, bassist] is the Killswitch head in Creeping Death.

NT: While 2019’s Wretched Illusions album sometimes had you reflecting on imagined battles from the online world of Runescape, you’re bringing some IRL warring into Boundless Domain. With respect to the new album’s “The Parthian Shot,” how did you find out about the Persian army’s actions in the Battle of Carrhae?

RA: Being Persian I’m obsessed with our history, so naturally I found out about it through this interest. This was the first time — recorded, at least — that the Persians used the Parthian Shot. Their armies had really skilled equestrians, and the tactic was used when they were getting their asses handed to them. They would retreat on horseback to bait enemies into following them. Because they would ride close together in a pursuit, the Persians would turn backwards on their full speed horse and launch arrows behind them in waves. This could straight up turn the tide massively, and it did [in the Battle of Carrhae].

NT: What was it like going to-to-toe with Corpsegrinder on “Intestinal Wrap”?

RA: I’m still pinching myself on that one. So grateful and honored, honestly. I have yet to meet him, but I’ve been listening to [Cannibal Corpse] as long as I can remember.

NT: You also had the chance to put some guest vocals on Frozen Soul’s recent “Arsenal of War,” a tributary thrasher for their vocalist’s late brother, Cory Green. What do you remember about dropping in on this session, and of Cory?

RA: The session was super fun! And since [Texas recording engineer] Daniel Schmuck was recording it, I felt right at home — we’d recorded everything up to The Edge of Existence with him. My favorite memories of Cory, though, mostly consist of growing up and being so scared when he moshed at shows. He was a great dude and a force to be fucking reckoned with.

NT: Boundless Domain’s “Remnants of the Old Gods” seems to concern someone unearthing and trying to decipher ancient texts, and wondering what power they may hold. First off, what’s the background on this one?

RA: This album keeps the lore going from The Edge of Existence — [it’s] an unorganized and wonky fictional story about gods and man that I created for the album.

NT: Let’s say someone discovers Creeping Death’s Boundless Domain eons from now. The internet as we know it is long-gone; streaming isn’t a thing. People haven’t heard Creeping Death’s music in who knows how long, but there’s a copy of the album found in some kind of wreckage, and — just like in “Remnants of the Old Gods” — someone’s eagerly trying to suss out what it all means. What do you think they’ll discover about Creeping Death from this record?

RA: Well…if the lyric sheet is still intact, they’ll find out that I’m a messy and unorganized storyteller that’s both optimistic and pessimistic!

Order Boundless Domain by Creeping Death HERE