Aeurtum
We were recently sent through the debut album, The Fall, from Birmingham based Aeurtum. Describing themselves as ‘alternative metallers’, the album is described as a 9 track journey through the darker workings of the human mind. The album is a result of 2 years of work from the 2 members of Aeurtum, and the follow up to their 2011 EP Within This Enervation which was released just before a brief split to explore other musical ventures. Now back together and their album ready to go, I was looking forward to hearing what was on offer!
Opening with the instrumental And So It Begins, the album gets going and immediately shows off the alternative stylings of the guys, luring you into a dark mix of melodic guitar lines and synth effects, the whole mix forming something which oozes with darkness, yet at the same time manages to offer up an uplifting start to the beginning of the album. Almost building into the beginning of Parity, the album seems to continue its off distorted feel as the track gets going, once again luring you in with soft guitar lines but suggesting that what is to follow is going to be much darker. Soon assuming a far more distorted approach to things, we’re finally shown the true colours of Aeurtum as the low toned vocals come in to complete the mix. Certainly not sticking to convention, this track is almost a showcase of how to do alternative metal in your own style, the band opting to move towards a far darker, almost more death metal style at times from the vocals, but keeping the music heavy, yet accessible throughout. As a start to the album, things are looking pretty good!
Moving on to Deliverance the band continue to push the boundaries of the power of their genre, this time launching straight into the track without any pass or introduction, and unleashing all of the power in their arsenal. Fast paced and the sort of thing which is going to get pits moving from the off, this is a definite heavy point on the album and a point which I need to see live – the pits are going to be immense to this one! Pounding drum lines, raw screechy vocals and roaring guitar lines, all the elements are there, work together and keep the track alive throughout. Dust In The Sunlight continues this idea, once again smashing you in the face with a heavy introduction before continuing to rampage for the duration of the track. It’s striking how 2 people have managed to craft such an advanced sound, it’s like a combination of alternative metal and death metal, forming into a sound which holds all of the power we’re looking for, but also has a real sense of melody running through things at all times.
Uttered and How The Silence Wept both continue in much the same vein as before, but it’s when A Moment To Breathe (which it is) comes around that the concept of the album is revealed, almost offering you a break in the distortion to take it all in, absorb it and realise where you’ve come from. Acting as a break before Dissolved In Emerald Waves kicks in, the album continues to surprise as we’re greeted by another soft and melodic entrance to the track. Synth effects rove around behind the soft acoustic guitar line, the whole mix forming into something akin to one of the break tracks off of a Soulfly album, before once again ushering in the distortion to remind us who we’re listening to. This ability to combine hard and soft is one of the hall marks of this band, showing that it is possible to combine the two and still end up with a convincing sound. At times here I found myself reminded of the likes of Dark Tranquility for that heavy melodic approach, standing this track out as a serious high point and one to make sure you check out if you get a chance.
Closing the album with Awaiting we’re left on a distorted note, the album finishing with a sludgy guitar line, pounding drums and more of that syncopated style approach to things, refusing to go out on a simple note. Dark again, this final track seems to round off the journey of the album finishing as it began with a sense that what you’ve just heard hasn’t just been an album, it’s been an experience.
I didn’t really know what to expect from Aeurtum when I hit play on this album, so to come across the product these guys have got here was a fairly mind blowing experience. At times you’ve got soft, at other times hard, and at other times seriously advanced stuff, meaning what you end up with is a complete mixture of approaches, all in one 9 track album. I’ll be looking forward to hearing what these guys can come up with next as this suggests damned good things!
To find out more about Aeurtum, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Opening with the instrumental And So It Begins, the album gets going and immediately shows off the alternative stylings of the guys, luring you into a dark mix of melodic guitar lines and synth effects, the whole mix forming something which oozes with darkness, yet at the same time manages to offer up an uplifting start to the beginning of the album. Almost building into the beginning of Parity, the album seems to continue its off distorted feel as the track gets going, once again luring you in with soft guitar lines but suggesting that what is to follow is going to be much darker. Soon assuming a far more distorted approach to things, we’re finally shown the true colours of Aeurtum as the low toned vocals come in to complete the mix. Certainly not sticking to convention, this track is almost a showcase of how to do alternative metal in your own style, the band opting to move towards a far darker, almost more death metal style at times from the vocals, but keeping the music heavy, yet accessible throughout. As a start to the album, things are looking pretty good!
Moving on to Deliverance the band continue to push the boundaries of the power of their genre, this time launching straight into the track without any pass or introduction, and unleashing all of the power in their arsenal. Fast paced and the sort of thing which is going to get pits moving from the off, this is a definite heavy point on the album and a point which I need to see live – the pits are going to be immense to this one! Pounding drum lines, raw screechy vocals and roaring guitar lines, all the elements are there, work together and keep the track alive throughout. Dust In The Sunlight continues this idea, once again smashing you in the face with a heavy introduction before continuing to rampage for the duration of the track. It’s striking how 2 people have managed to craft such an advanced sound, it’s like a combination of alternative metal and death metal, forming into a sound which holds all of the power we’re looking for, but also has a real sense of melody running through things at all times.
Uttered and How The Silence Wept both continue in much the same vein as before, but it’s when A Moment To Breathe (which it is) comes around that the concept of the album is revealed, almost offering you a break in the distortion to take it all in, absorb it and realise where you’ve come from. Acting as a break before Dissolved In Emerald Waves kicks in, the album continues to surprise as we’re greeted by another soft and melodic entrance to the track. Synth effects rove around behind the soft acoustic guitar line, the whole mix forming into something akin to one of the break tracks off of a Soulfly album, before once again ushering in the distortion to remind us who we’re listening to. This ability to combine hard and soft is one of the hall marks of this band, showing that it is possible to combine the two and still end up with a convincing sound. At times here I found myself reminded of the likes of Dark Tranquility for that heavy melodic approach, standing this track out as a serious high point and one to make sure you check out if you get a chance.
Closing the album with Awaiting we’re left on a distorted note, the album finishing with a sludgy guitar line, pounding drums and more of that syncopated style approach to things, refusing to go out on a simple note. Dark again, this final track seems to round off the journey of the album finishing as it began with a sense that what you’ve just heard hasn’t just been an album, it’s been an experience.
I didn’t really know what to expect from Aeurtum when I hit play on this album, so to come across the product these guys have got here was a fairly mind blowing experience. At times you’ve got soft, at other times hard, and at other times seriously advanced stuff, meaning what you end up with is a complete mixture of approaches, all in one 9 track album. I’ll be looking forward to hearing what these guys can come up with next as this suggests damned good things!
To find out more about Aeurtum, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls