Aurora Borealis
Timeline : The Beginning and End Of Everything ()
Wydane przez Nightsky ProductionsRok wydania Kraj USANapisał Wouter9
Despite being one of the original and long-running American death metal acts Maryland-based Aurora Borealis never managed to break out of the netherregions of the underground. On their sixth record the band do no concessions as sole member Ron Vento once again has crafted nearly a dozen masterfully composed cuts of their decidedly European sounding epic death metal. "Timeline" forms the debut of session drummer Mark Greene, who can easily match himself - as far as dexterity, speed and technicality goes - with his illustrious predecessors Tony Laureano, Derek Roddy and Tim Yeung. Steeped in years of experience Vento proves that there's still vitality and relevance to the American underground as Aurora Borealis easily blows the majority of the competition away in its sheer onslaught of diversity in mood, atmosphere as well as songstructure. In contrast to earlier records this album doesn't deal with mythology or historical subjects, instead it tells the story of all life from the creation of the Universe to its inevitable demise and eventual rebirth. A narrative intro 'Our Legacy' starts off the record with tribal drumming and processed robotic speech. Immediately notable is how organic the drum production is, with a clear difference in between snare – and kickdrums. The rapid classic metal leads/solos also add greatly to the indidividuality and uniqueness of the material. Vento's serpentine rasps are both venomous and intelligible. 'The Evolution After Evolution' even channels the early classic 'Slave To the Grave' with its swirling structure and harmonies. Recorded in Vento's own Nightsky Studio facilities "Timeline" is the smoothest Aurora Borealis record to date, surpassing its incredibly heavy predecessor "Relinquish" in every aspect. Returning once again is resident artist Jay Marsh who delivers his most frightingly intense and perhaps most accomplished painting to date. This crimson vision of impending cosmic cataclysm surpasses even the mythical arctic visions of "Praise the Archaic Lights Embrace" and "Northern Lights". Much attention was paid to the lush design and lay-out of this record and that dedication clearly shines through. Fans of Vital Remains, pre-"Fury & Flames" Hate Eternal, Order Of Ennead and Nile's earlier records will surely find this appealing. It's time that Aurora Borealis finally breaks through to a wider audience and claim their rightful place in the pantheon of America's most accomplished genre acts.
www.auroraborealis.org
