Neaera – The Rising Tide Of Oblivion
Author: Mark Thompson
What comes to mind when you think of Greek mythology? Zeus? Medusa? Have you ever heard of the name NEAERA? If you haven’t, this is not your calling to head over to Google and educate yourself, but rather a notice of the newest, young hotshots over on Metal Blade Records who share the same name as this tortured, oppressed, and exploited female from Greek mythology, NEAERA. And what emerges from the creation of Tobias Buck’s (MALZAN) side project?
Simple, you have over 40 minutes of intense music strattling the fence of death metal, hardcore, and Euro-Metal. The twin-guitar attack of Tobias and Stefan Keller is supported by a continual pummeling from Benjamin Donath on bass and Sebastian Heldt on drums who lay a foundation that is already a domineering force but in years to come will be one that this scene will be talking about as they grow in their time playing together as NEAERA has only been a band for less than 2 years.
Why this album contains no filler material, the standout tracks are Broken Spine, To Oblivion, and Save The Drowning Child. The songs jump from double-kick blast beats typical of death metal, to galloping rhythms, to hardcore breakdowns which keep the listener guessing what is coming next and never being predictable in their songwriting approach. The only negative aspect of this album is the production as it seems better tones could have been achieved with the guitars with more time in the studio as well as a less muddy mix would have supplied the ears with a cleaner vision for their defined musical direction, but that does not take away from the overall songwriting which in years to come should only prove NEAERA as a force to be reckoned with in the extreme music world.
Rating: 8/10
Label: Metal Blade Records
(No Ratings Yet)
