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Tracklist
1. The City in the Sea
2. Dead Serious & Highly Professional
3. Austerity
4. Killing The Flies
5. Une Saison En Enfer
6. Necrobabes.com
7. One with the Ocean
8. Swoon
9. Queen of the Food-Chain
10. Inertia
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'Aeolian' should grab music buyers' attention from its spot on the store shelf. The cover depicts a dark picture of clouds, probably taken at night. THE OCEAN and 'Aeolian' are written in gold calligraphy, and ornate branches entwine the title and the band's name. This scene casts a feeling of dark empyreal nature. The disc's booklet reads like a book, with numbered pages, poetic lyrics, and gold-sketched pictures. The pictures show angelic gods and goddesses of the sea standing amidst interweaving sea creatures that seem to be forming into a single being. The artwork combined with song titles like 'The City in the Sea,' 'One with the Ocean,' and 'Queen of the Food Chain' are fictional or metaphorical allusions to the sea. The lyrics are mature and poetic, the first song being a rendition of Edgar Allen Poe's 'The City in the Sea.'
All these aspects of the record bring to mind atmospheric or symphonic metal. THERION or BORKNAGAR are two bands that could pull off representing these themes in a fitting manner. Once listeners hear the opening notes of 'Aeolian' all these assumptions are shipped far away. 'The City in the Sea' rolls in with the explosive force of a tsunami. Grinding death riffs come in to destroy your fancy little sandcastle mental image. Most of the album is a mixture of complex timing, abrupt metallic hardcore breakdowns with 'bleeping' guitar harmonics; capricious, epileptic rhythms, and a screaming choir of vocal cacophony.
One of the album's standout tracks is 'Killing the Flies,' highlighting mathematical scales, spinal injury-causing tempo changes—all in the tradition of Sweden power-groove innovators, MESHUGGAH. 'Une Saison en Eufer' is another track worth noting with a crusty punk rhythm and short, rapid-fire blast beats. 'Queen of the Damned' is perhaps the most diverse track, undoubtedly the most harmonious. Sure, there are a couple blast beats and the typical vocal din, but there are many instrumental breaks like the tribal part near the middle of the song, which is quite fitting for a song with this title. Changing cords, flicking switches, clicking a mouse—this song rises and falls like the ocean's tide with an equal amount of calm & calamity.
Metal fans are apt to say many good things about this release. The heaviness, aggression, sheer technical magic, poetry and barbarity all deserve loads of praise. The number of musicians involved in this project (14) using a wide-variety of musical instruments, whether it be a sampler, a cello, or a guitar is also impressive. Unfortunately, fans will probably bring up an equal number of negative points, too. The album is too complex for its own good. Sometimes a simple riff or beat can be far more productive than a complex scale or algebraic beat. 'Aeolian' lacks the unforgettable hook, and the vocals are excessively harsh. Compiling a choir of screamers is like listening to a pack of injured dogs. 'Aeolian' should do well, though, because it does not stray too far off the paths the THE END, MESHUGGAH, and DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN tread.
Review by: Darren Cowan
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