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| #FOR FANS OF: Atmospheric Black/Prog/Folk/Metalcore/Post Metal |
Short, sweet, and direct to the point of being curt, this fresh perforation of the heart is a worthwhile listen that shows each band involved eschewing much of the surplusage that held back the previous 'Gathering'. After half a decade and Oak Pantheon and Amiensus return for a follow-up to their first collaboration with a co-created song between an original apiece. Starting with a tune reminiscent of a cowboy clip-clopping into a town ready to gun down the gang controlling it, “A Demonstration” comes in with a combination as vividly Western as it is driven by the esoteric folkloric sound that has been driving European metal for years. Razor sharp guitars take this pace into a gallop down the deserted foresty path where Oak Pantheon is most accustomed, ensconced in the darkness of ancient growth and paying homage to the many bands before this new altar. This rambling pace makes pinches of strings and raps of snare slightly escape the flow of the song with a sort of earnest and humble folksy Celtic sound before tightening up into a tear and blast that quickly dissipates. The variety throughout this song flows majestically as the quick drastic hits fall back into the resonating reverence to conjure a series of solos that get knocked around by snare. Closing with the simple and impactful trickle of guitar notes, Oak Pantheon is a far cry from its early and more single-minded days in 'The Void' and 'From a Whisper' and now the band is showing a scope in a single song far wider than it once could explore in an album.
After Oak Pantheon's example of its increasingly inspiring course is the collaborative piece “Tanequil”, showing off a very melodic soundscape brutalized by aggressive drumming and rhythmic changes in a chorus of splendid scraping deviation, a flow that moves in a mixture of indie rock and grinds out the raging aspect of each band beautifully between dulcet verses dripping with emotion. As though tsunami waves overcome a seaside tower, these drastic deluges successfully compliment this more modern metalcore bounce and post-metal treble to create a sound that hints at the atmospheric blackened style of Oak Pantheon and the technical proclivities of Amiensus with a more streamlined flow able to gracefully combine these sounds without compromising their melancholy or fury respectively.
Amiensus' offering shows a stark change in the band's music from the first collaboration, as well as provides an astute cap to the experience. With a more emotional track, lilting in guitars and vocalization alike, as drumming continues to roar through technical tapestry alongside deathcore beatdowns, “Now Enters Dusk” shows off soloing guitars, a more straightforward blackened sound at the end joined by drawn out blasting, and a labyrinth of strings flowing in crisp harmony across the razor sharp atmosphere to round out the song. Providing compositional prowess without being too artsy for its own good as well as backing this sound with varied and moving production that captures the strengths shown throughout this track ensure that Amiensus has been on a steady path to improvement and presents it well throughout “Now Enters Dusk”. Years back, “Arise” did exactly as its title suggested, rising and rising in a relentless blinding elaboration with no payoff but pain with nerves seared by sunlight as more and more layers drive upward into the tones of tortured cats. Conversely, “Now Enters Dusk” inverts that explosion as it falls more gracefully, tumbling at times and bringing both the coldness and darkness to overcome the world as it becomes enchanted with the lengthening of shadows and waning of the sun.
Five years to the day after their first 'Gathering' Oak Pantheon and Amiensus have even tighter entwined their fates with a strong sequel, one where both bands show off some major strengths and especially show how they have come into their own over this past half decade. Where the last 'Gathering' seemed so disparate and Oak Pantheon came across looking the better, this release shows each band playing incredibly well and Amiensus coming out just a hair ahead of the other. Though this is no contest, both these bands are in the running for audience affections at any given time and their inspired collaboration in “Tanequil” shows the incredible accomplishments that can be made through this partnership as new ideas enhance the deliveries of both bands rather than highlight their differences as was too obvious five years ago. A tighter fit in the songwriting and production departments has also influenced each band's approach to 'Gathering II' making for such a cohesive combination that it seems as though written by a single band. (Five_Nails)
After Oak Pantheon's example of its increasingly inspiring course is the collaborative piece “Tanequil”, showing off a very melodic soundscape brutalized by aggressive drumming and rhythmic changes in a chorus of splendid scraping deviation, a flow that moves in a mixture of indie rock and grinds out the raging aspect of each band beautifully between dulcet verses dripping with emotion. As though tsunami waves overcome a seaside tower, these drastic deluges successfully compliment this more modern metalcore bounce and post-metal treble to create a sound that hints at the atmospheric blackened style of Oak Pantheon and the technical proclivities of Amiensus with a more streamlined flow able to gracefully combine these sounds without compromising their melancholy or fury respectively.
Amiensus' offering shows a stark change in the band's music from the first collaboration, as well as provides an astute cap to the experience. With a more emotional track, lilting in guitars and vocalization alike, as drumming continues to roar through technical tapestry alongside deathcore beatdowns, “Now Enters Dusk” shows off soloing guitars, a more straightforward blackened sound at the end joined by drawn out blasting, and a labyrinth of strings flowing in crisp harmony across the razor sharp atmosphere to round out the song. Providing compositional prowess without being too artsy for its own good as well as backing this sound with varied and moving production that captures the strengths shown throughout this track ensure that Amiensus has been on a steady path to improvement and presents it well throughout “Now Enters Dusk”. Years back, “Arise” did exactly as its title suggested, rising and rising in a relentless blinding elaboration with no payoff but pain with nerves seared by sunlight as more and more layers drive upward into the tones of tortured cats. Conversely, “Now Enters Dusk” inverts that explosion as it falls more gracefully, tumbling at times and bringing both the coldness and darkness to overcome the world as it becomes enchanted with the lengthening of shadows and waning of the sun.
Five years to the day after their first 'Gathering' Oak Pantheon and Amiensus have even tighter entwined their fates with a strong sequel, one where both bands show off some major strengths and especially show how they have come into their own over this past half decade. Where the last 'Gathering' seemed so disparate and Oak Pantheon came across looking the better, this release shows each band playing incredibly well and Amiensus coming out just a hair ahead of the other. Though this is no contest, both these bands are in the running for audience affections at any given time and their inspired collaboration in “Tanequil” shows the incredible accomplishments that can be made through this partnership as new ideas enhance the deliveries of both bands rather than highlight their differences as was too obvious five years ago. A tighter fit in the songwriting and production departments has also influenced each band's approach to 'Gathering II' making for such a cohesive combination that it seems as though written by a single band. (Five_Nails)
(Self - 2018)
Score: 85