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The Gauntlet: Gaias Pendulum |
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Gaias Pendulum Album Review
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Band Name: Gaias Pendulum
Album Name: Vite
Rating: 3.5 / 5 User Rating: 1.2 / 5
Label: Hateworks
Buy Album: Amazon.com
Rate Album: Rate
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Tracklist
1. In the Deep Of Gaia
2. Otoño
3. Sin Llanto
4. Paraiso
5. Butterfly
6. Rainfall
7. Volver a Pecar
8. Lagrimas de Arena
9. Soledad
10. The Astral Eye Of Desdemona
11. Vlad Tepes (Voivoda Draculea)
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Straddling the border between Gothenburger style melodic death metal and ambient black metal, Gaias Pendulum will no doubt incite South American fans of aural extremity into a frenzy with this album of eleven well put-together cuts. Highly atmospheric songwriting is coupled with a dark ambience on the driving 'In The Deep Of Gaia', while the group provides a distinctively futuristic melding of extreme metal styles with 'Otono.' As vocalist Juan D. M. Duque employs a low rasping approach in his native tongue on these tracks, the group goes for a combination of forcefulness and melody, with widely varying dynamics and intricately woven sonic layerings that are made that much more substantial with the accentuation of keyboardist Miguel Gongora. This recording features a sufficient quantity of variance in emotions to hold the listener's attention as the group interjects warm tonality into 'Paraiso', showing a similarity to the latter works of Tiamat initially, before launching into a feel that is more reminiscent of their home continent during the track's extended bridge section. It is during this portion of the track that the group's overall sound takes on an evil atmosphere, sounding appropriately wicked as Duque offers a harsh tirade overtop a lurching crunch. The group's songs are quite lengthy, with these twelve tracks averaging six and a half minutes apiece, but the capable instrumentation and impressive arrangements amply draw the listener in with their varied stylization. On the much more commercial 'Butterfly', the group meld gothic harmonies with deathly assaults with ease, with Susana Correa chiming in with an ethereal female vocal performance. An entirely doomy vibe surrounds 'Volver A Pecar', which builds into a Dark Tranquillity style passage that reflects the ability of this group to move between genres successfully with no inhibition whatsoever. Duque's vocalizations here sound decidedly otherworldly, with sufficient amounts of reverb employed to induce a cavernous, haunting tone. 'Vite' doubtlessly proves that these five Columbians have what it takes in order to create music that remains undeniably persuasive, harmonically alluring and mysteriously entertaining.
Review by: Erin Fox
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