Atheretic – Apocalyptic Nature Fury
Author: Ian Duncan-Brown
Atheretic’s second full length, Apocalyptic Nature Fury, deserves attention for its deft and dextrous technical assault. People are known to say that no two Canadian metal bands sound the same, but Atheretic’s sound is roughly like a cross between that of their countrymen Gorguts and Cryptopsy, combining the speed and brutality of the latter with the dissonance of the former. This is a must have disc for any fan of technical death metal.
The musicianship of the band is absolutely topnotch. The winding riffs twist and turn, while the always precise drumming anchors the release. Of note is the bass performance, as the low end is very audible and certainly adds to the overall aesthetic; the bassist rarely follows the six stringer, instead adding his own counter-melodies and flourishes in a style similar to that of Steve DiGiorgio. All in all, Atheretic is a technical juggernaut, but there is more to this release than chops alone.
Though none are overlong in length, the songs on Apocalyptic Nature Fury are certainly progressive in nature. There is little recumbency; the band generally choose to forge ahead in each track rather than repeating musical themes and refrains. Atheretic manage to be heavy as hell while still maintaining an atmosphere of technicality and progression, and for that, they should be commended. The production can be a bit thin at times, but on the whole it aids the music, bringing each individual part into the open with its transparent mix.
Writeups of technical death metal are often difficult in that the genre, which was once outrageous and unusual, has become fairly common, and unfortunately, much of it sounds the same. Although Atheretic do not sound drastically new, there is something different about their style even though it is heavily based upon that of other bands. In short, this release is well worth checking out if you like any technical death metal.
8.5/10
http://www.atheretic.com/
http://www.galyrecords.com/
(+4 rating, 2 votes)
