Aurora Borealis - Timeline: The Beginning And End Of Everything
'Timeline' is Aurora Borealis' fifth studio album. Like their previous effort, they took some time in between- about four years- to really flesh out some quality material rather than just do a rushed album due to fan pressure. The result is some unique sci fi based blackened death metal that takes a slightly different approach than most bands. Instead of relying on spacey keyboards and heavy industrial sounds, Aurora B. rely on an aggressive brutal death metal style combined with chopped up black metal vocals that sound industrially creepy without all the extra FX effects. They sound torn, ugly, and inhuman, which works to the perfect effect of the band as a whole. The music on the other hand is full of chugging blast beats with solos interspersed. Tracks like "Crucible Of Creation" are straightforward crushers with their constant machine gun drums and seamless riffs with the vocals seemingly distorted by the waves of pulsing energy coming from the music. At some point though, the solo has a great slide to the guitar and sounds almost spacey, which matches the theme of the album. Other tracks like "A Creature Called Human" is more thrash based with segmented chugging riffs that are more rhythmic rather than seamlessly stitched together while the drums focus more on pedal work behind the kit than the usual circular beatings. The guitars also sound more technical in their breakdowns while the vocals are less choppy and more clear in their black metal formula.
"Beyond The Oort Cloud" takes a different rhythm by actually incorporating sequential pauses that are almost militaristic before moving on to the more connected parts. The result is a very groovy and catchy track that borders almost along the lines of black n' roll. "Tearing A Hole In The Fabric..." slows things down a bit with mid paced chugs that are almost doom metal styled; the only thing that really stands out aggressively is the drumming, which sometimes seems off beat in its hyper bursts of drumfire. "Interlude to Cessation" is more like a brief guitar solo instrumental over the spoken word segments that dominated the first track; it probably could have done best without the spoken word part as it draws the listener away from the skills of the guitars. Everything comes full circle with "Rebirth" which goes back to the more melodic black metal style tinged with brutal death metal that made the second track such a great start. The guitar solos are a bit lengthier here, but don't detract from the music at all. In fact, it only enhances it.
The result here is a very well crafted blackened death metal album that actually stands on its own. It's hard to bring up comparisons to this group- and in their own sense they are almost one of the original death metal groups of the late 90s (they started back in 1998). The vocals, when not distorted, sound more like the typical blackened death metal snarl, but Aurora B. do their best to make their newest output just as creative, if not better, than past offerings.
"Beyond The Oort Cloud" takes a different rhythm by actually incorporating sequential pauses that are almost militaristic before moving on to the more connected parts. The result is a very groovy and catchy track that borders almost along the lines of black n' roll. "Tearing A Hole In The Fabric..." slows things down a bit with mid paced chugs that are almost doom metal styled; the only thing that really stands out aggressively is the drumming, which sometimes seems off beat in its hyper bursts of drumfire. "Interlude to Cessation" is more like a brief guitar solo instrumental over the spoken word segments that dominated the first track; it probably could have done best without the spoken word part as it draws the listener away from the skills of the guitars. Everything comes full circle with "Rebirth" which goes back to the more melodic black metal style tinged with brutal death metal that made the second track such a great start. The guitar solos are a bit lengthier here, but don't detract from the music at all. In fact, it only enhances it.
The result here is a very well crafted blackened death metal album that actually stands on its own. It's hard to bring up comparisons to this group- and in their own sense they are almost one of the original death metal groups of the late 90s (they started back in 1998). The vocals, when not distorted, sound more like the typical blackened death metal snarl, but Aurora B. do their best to make their newest output just as creative, if not better, than past offerings.
- Our Legacy
- Crucible Of Creation
- Formation
- Stygian Depths
- A Creature Called Human (Among Other Things)
- The Evolution After Evolution
- The Only Space Race That Matters
- Beyond The Oort Cloud
- Tearing Holes In The Fabric Of Time
- Interlude To Cessation
- Rebirth
Nightsky Productions
Reviewer: Colin McNamara
Mar 2, 2011
Mar 2, 2011
Next review:
As Likely As Not - Stand Up And Nerve
Share this:
