Melbourne death metal exponents Aetherial have released an album for the ages with Nameless Horrors, a sonic bending journey that explores the dark recesses of the soul, exposing the seedy underbelly of what many consider to be everyday existence.
These eight songs form the nucleus of the second album from Aetherial, with the musical growth of the band evident from the outset.
Single and album opener “Indifference to Suffering” kicks the album off with a voice-over narration strewn atop gentle guitar strumming that creates an eerie sense of foreboding before the first chord is struck in anger. As the double kicks roll in the intensity bubbles before vocalist/guitarist Shep Sheppard lets out a guttural scream that will have the blood run screaming from your veins.
In contrast “It’s Only Blood” grabs you by the jugular from the outset and bludgeons you into submission with a relentless energy that is almost infectious.
“The Grave Empties Itself” is a fierce, ferocious tune with timing and tempo changes not often seen within the death metal genre that Aetherial should soon be dominating.
Each song on Nameless Horrors has an individuality and life of its own, breaking the formulaic pattern that can often defines death metal.
Nothing gets lost in the mix or buried underneath the weight of metal. Almost meticulously placed musical interludes punctuate moments of musical insanity, allowing Aetherial to tread the fine line between balance and toppling overboard with a precision that can only come from a band well versed in their craft.
By the time Nameless Horrors finishes with “Spitting Out Teeth,” you feel like you have done just that – or had them knocked out by flailing limbs in the moshpit.
Legend has it that your second album is usually your toughest but whoever coined that phrase obviously forget to tell Aetherial. Nameless Horrors is a beast of an album no matter how many have preceded it and the scary thing is you get the feeling that Aetherial are just getting warmed up…
Watch “Suffering” from Nameless Horrors below:
