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August 29, 2008 |
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01. Beatus
02. ...Ever Know Peace Again
03. Cosmic Migration
04. Nocebo
05. Alien Shores
06. In Russian Dolls Universes
07. Becoming God
08. The Lair Of Purity
09. From Eden Estranged
10. ...As Sea Devours Land
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Well now, if this isn't a welcomed surprise. Original and forward-thinking Technical Death/Black Metal from the snow-enshrouded northlands of Quebec, Canada. T'would seem our Francophone countrymen's provincial stomping grounds are swiftly emerging as something of a hotbed for Metal talent, what with everyone from VOIVOD to KATAKLYSM, CRYPTOPSY, QUO VADIS, NEURAXIS, MARTYR, and now AUGURY amongst others proving that there must indeed be something in the cold waters of the St. Lawrence that breeds technical innovation and proficiency, not to mention the kind of megaton-blast HEAVINESS that makes for first-rate Metal of the highest calibre.
Relative newcomers to the wider Metal world, AUGURY(including Patrick Loisel/vox, guitars, Mathieu Marcotte/guitars, Dominic 'Forest' Lapointe/bass, Arianne Fleury/choir, soprano vox, and Etienne Gallo/drums) deserve every ounce of the considerable amount of hype that Galy have seen fit to lay at the feet of this, their debut opus 'Concealed'. A remarkable initial offering, 'Concealed' is Technical Death/Black Metal at its very best. An album that echoes with a kind of barely-contained, trembling cerebral violence that constantly threatens to burst out of control. Thinking-man's mayhem if you will. Very reminiscent of the work of say, latter-days EMPEROR, MYRKSKOG, or SIRIUS, or even OPETH crossed with the Technical Death Metal sensibilities of the likes of BEHEMOTH or CRYPTOPSY, AUGURY are a crossover success story born of the melding of two seemingly disparate styles which together serve to create something bold, refreshing, and new. A rarity in the world of Heavy Metal these days.
This is a band who place the utmost focus first and foremost upon songcraft, with an emphasis on the 'epic' and the grandiose. Here the song constructs flow together with odd, stop/start time changes and dischordant arrangements marked by relentless, 'jazzy' percussion c/o the phenomenal Gallo, with memorable, Progressive melodic leadwork that takes a definite stylistic page from the book of Schuldiner and Sanders to name but two obvious influences whose stylistic ehoes reverberate throughout. Vocals range from the gutturally low Grindcore end of the spectrum to cosmos-shattering BM shrieks, with the added layers offered via Fleury's strong female soprano which bring yet another dimension to this already impressive sonic maelstrom.
It's always tough when dealing with music this involved and complex to pick out singular tracks as 'standouts' since generally this is the sort of fare that works best when experienced as a whole album. However, some of the stronger moments to be found are on such tracks as opener 'Beatus' with its haunting and ethereal opening keyboard riff, the full-throttle aggression of 'Cosmic Migration' and 'Alien Shores', the stunning leadwork of 'Becoming God', and the multi-textured, acoustic/choral respite of epic 'The Lair Of Purity' before it explodes back into untamed violence. All in all though, as stated this is an album best appreciated in full, with many aural twists and turns sure to reveal new treasures with each repeated listening experience. Despite all of my praise however, I have to admit that this is a style of Metal which still too often sounds somewhat cold and clinical to my ears.
I find myself marveling at the sheer intelligence and technical mastery of it all, yet wonder whether or not this is something I will want to break out on a regular basis. But then again, isn't that the point of such music!?! That is, to challenge and perplex the listener? Exactly. With AUGURY the rewards await, yet do not come easily. Thinking-man's mayhem indeed. This is exactly the sort of approach that will keep the 'Blacker' elements of Heavy Metal vital and relevant well into the millennium. Despite the fact that these are early days still for AUGURY, they are definitely well on their way down the right path towards a very bright future indeed. I daresay that this is a band who will continue to push ever forward into bolder and braver terrain as they continue their musical journey onwards into the dim horizons of the human consciousness. Pick it up, strap it on, and prepare to be pummeled into astounded submission.
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