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Ataraxy: Revelations of the ethereal
20/12/12 || gk
“Revelations of the ethereal” is the debut album from Spain’s Ataraxy and this is going to please fans of old school death metal. Formed in 2008, the band released a critically acclaimed EP a couple of years ago which showed off their love for all things old school and now in 2012, the band continue on that path with their full length debut.
“Revelations of the ethereal” has absolutely nothing new going for it. The band sticks quite closely to the formula perfected by 90s death metal bands although their influences are a little bit more varied than your usual Incantation clones. Where they do shine though, is in the song writing. The riffs are brutal and go through various tempo changes in just about every song from ultra-fast and brutal death metal riffing to slower death-doom sections. What makes them really stand out though is the underlying sense of melody in the music. Ominous putrefied ground is a good example of this as the song varies between a solid death metal attack and a measured mid-tempo section but it’s all held together with a melodic sensibility and a catchy groove that gives the song that something extra. Elsewhere on the album is the superb “Ethereal slumber”. Lengthy at close to 8 minutes but filled with some massive riffs and an ominous atmosphere that really lifts the song above any accusations of plagiarism or being just another old school worshiping death metal band. Ataraxy are also really good at knowing when to go all out with their blasting and when to drop the hammer and lock in on a groove or mid-paced stomp. The changes work remarkably well right through this album.
Vocalist J.M.A. sounds like a cross between Chris Reifert and Martin Van Drunen and does a terrific job here while also handling the occasional atmospheric keyboard bits that turn up. Guitarist S.C.R. though is the real star of the show. His riffing is always impressive as he seems to bring a variety of influences to his song writing but that previously mentioned melodic sensibility probably comes from a deep love of Finnish death metal along with some nods thrown at various occasions through this album to Bolt Thrower and Asphyx. The rhythm section of D.V.L. and E.M.R. are rock solid but don’t really have a lot of room to show off as the emphasis is always on the songs.
“Revelations of the ethereal” is one solid and impressive debut. Like I said before, there’s nothing here that would qualify for being new or innovative but the songs kick ass. Ataraxy are a band with a lot of promise and well worth checking out for fans of old school death metal.
- Information
- Released: 2012
- Label: Memento Mori
- Website: Ataraxy Bandcamp
- Band
- J.M.A.: vocals, keyboards
- S.C.R.: guitars
- E.M.R.: bass
- D.V.L.: drums
- Tracklist
- 01. Immersion in Chaos
- 02. Necrotic Shadow of Decay
- 03. Ominous Putrified Ground
- 04. Ceremonial Flames
- 05. Ethereal Slumber
- 06. Demons of the Storm
- 07. Under Veiled Skies
- 08. Unreachable Spheres
