ALTERED AEON
Dispiritism
Black Lotus Records
7.5/10
Altered Aeon plays an in-your-face style of thrash metal that is upfront and aggressive, however, the vocals of Kjell Andersson alternate between gruff barks and a style which is generally found in slower, doomier bands. This factor alone sets the band apart from the pack.
With so few acts playing actual thrash these days, this style is fairly welcome. For the most part Altered Aeon stick to the style of the second wave of thrash metal, but they add to it even further, bringing in an impressive array of technical flurries and blasts that keeps the music quite interesting.
The unpredictability of tracks like “The Resonance Of Form In Transition” and “Carpe Noctem” are what make the record. Obviously, Altered Aeon is very creative in their composition but the impressive nature of the group does not stop there.
The musicians put forth a tremendous effort. When drummer Henrik Ohlsson launches into one of his signature, machine-like beats, he keeps the pace solid through the verses, indiscriminate as to what the stringed instruments are playing. This creates a good footing for Andersson’s vocals to open up when he wishes to. But during the breakdowns and bridges, Ohlsson shows adeptness for flurried accents and swift shifts in time signatures that emphasize the technicality of the guitarists even further.
Per Nilsson and Nicklas Rehn feed off of each other’s guitar attacks like axe cannibals and on the breaks where the rhythm separates, you can really hear these two driving each other to perform even harder, as each throw in fills and licks while the other goes to work.
Highlights here include the lead off track “Dispirited Chambers” and the soaring, frantic “Dreamscape Domain”, but every track here is excellent, in the end making “Dispiritism” a worthwhile addition to your thrash metal record collection that will result in an enthralling listen many, many times over.
ERIN FOX © 2005 - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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