Son Of Aurelius - The Farthest Reaches
There was a lot of hype about the debut album by Son Of Aurelius when it came out earlier this year. A lot of critics gave high scores to “The Farthest Reaches” and the fact that this band from Santa Cruz, California plays a modern brew of technical death metal really intrigued me. So I took a couple of spins of this album to see if the hype is really worth it.
To be really honest, I simply don't know how to think of this band and their effort. They are certainly technical and the effort put into this album is substantial. All the musicians are very crafty and know how to put a solid technical death metal album. I really like the guitar work on this record, with all the arrangements and riffs where you can actually that there are two guitar players in this band, each providing his share into the overall picture. There are a lot of tasty solos here that don't sound like a pure show off, but actually sound like an integral part of the songs. The drums work very well in supporting the song structure, there are a lot of tempo and rhythm changes that the drummer deals very well with. The bass is not very audible to my regret, but you can actually hear it sometimes. The vocals turned me off a bit, because the constant screaming is more suitable for a black metal band rather than tech death. But the more you listen, the less you pay attention. Besides, there are occasional growls that provide a good contrast.
The only problem in this record is the music. It's not bad, it's simply generic. It sounds exactly as you would expect from a model tech death metal band and it doesn't break the mold. This record has a lot of elements that separately could sound very interesting, but together it all blends into a gray sonic mass that doesn't grab your ear and just flows like a sound in the background. And it's quite strange, because there are a lot of things that could have made this record really interesting. Son Of Aurelius have made a great job with this album, but the result sounds like any other record you would expect from Decrepit Birth (where one of their guitarists actually plays), Veil Of Maya, Diskreet and dozens of other tech death bands that the US scene has spawned in the past couple of years. But it's definitely a good start, and if Son Of Aurelius manage to find their own sound that would distinct them from all other bands in the niche their next album will be a record I'll be anticipating for sure!
To be really honest, I simply don't know how to think of this band and their effort. They are certainly technical and the effort put into this album is substantial. All the musicians are very crafty and know how to put a solid technical death metal album. I really like the guitar work on this record, with all the arrangements and riffs where you can actually that there are two guitar players in this band, each providing his share into the overall picture. There are a lot of tasty solos here that don't sound like a pure show off, but actually sound like an integral part of the songs. The drums work very well in supporting the song structure, there are a lot of tempo and rhythm changes that the drummer deals very well with. The bass is not very audible to my regret, but you can actually hear it sometimes. The vocals turned me off a bit, because the constant screaming is more suitable for a black metal band rather than tech death. But the more you listen, the less you pay attention. Besides, there are occasional growls that provide a good contrast.
The only problem in this record is the music. It's not bad, it's simply generic. It sounds exactly as you would expect from a model tech death metal band and it doesn't break the mold. This record has a lot of elements that separately could sound very interesting, but together it all blends into a gray sonic mass that doesn't grab your ear and just flows like a sound in the background. And it's quite strange, because there are a lot of things that could have made this record really interesting. Son Of Aurelius have made a great job with this album, but the result sounds like any other record you would expect from Decrepit Birth (where one of their guitarists actually plays), Veil Of Maya, Diskreet and dozens of other tech death bands that the US scene has spawned in the past couple of years. But it's definitely a good start, and if Son Of Aurelius manage to find their own sound that would distinct them from all other bands in the niche their next album will be a record I'll be anticipating for sure!
1. Mercy For Today
2. Let Them Hate And Fear
3. The Farthest Reaches
4. Olympus Is Forgotten
5. Facing The Gorgon
6. Pandora's Burden (Feat. Matt Sotelo)
7. A Champion Reborn
8. Myocardial Infarction
9. The Calm
10. A Good Death
11. The First, The Serpent
2. Let Them Hate And Fear
3. The Farthest Reaches
4. Olympus Is Forgotten
5. Facing The Gorgon
6. Pandora's Burden (Feat. Matt Sotelo)
7. A Champion Reborn
8. Myocardial Infarction
9. The Calm
10. A Good Death
11. The First, The Serpent
Good Fight Music
Reviewer: twansibon
Nov 14, 2010
Nov 14, 2010
Next review:
Eciton - A Scent Of Veracity
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