Axis of Advance
Landline
[Catharsis]
My second Canadian extreme metal review of the week (next to the really excellent Frozen Shadows), and yet another Canadian band that I believe will surprise the scene, as they really are better than anything out there. While Frozen Shadows are brilliant at mixing speed with atmosphere, and thus create a more ambient, depressing feel, AoA are straight forward fast, and thus bring up HATE.
This is extremely technical in terms of instrumentation and structure. There's quite literally zero repetition in the two original tracks (plus a ripping sped up Sacrifice cover from "Forward to Termination" which really does justice to that riff!) presented by the band. I don't have the time, but I'm sure a person could count one hundred individual drum, guitar, and bass riffs in each song. The guitars are really well produced at the same time; they have an unnatural feel to them. That Thergothon style doom-break in the first track really makes excellent usage of the production. Still, the production is rather flat, and I hope the band work on that. Especially in terms of vocals, which seem to be pitch-fucked. I hope Wor goes natural for future recordings. The lyrics aren't included here, but by looking at them, and taking the meaning of "Axis of Advance" into affect, I'd assume they are about the more technical aspects of war.
The drumming, performed by Read of Conqueror (and cult Cremation, an early 90s black/death metal band who were semi-popular), will be praised by reviewers, myself included. I love drumming like this! It's just so fucking incredibly technical that it never gets boring! As one of the fastest drummers in the scene, his high kit work blows my fucking head off…
Maybe because there's so much going on at once, but "Landline" reminds me of Razor playing at the speed of Marduk, led by a psychotic vocalist. The band don't have any thrash breaks/stops/build-up like Razor, this is modern metal after all, but there's so many chaotic and technical riffs/changes that you CAN'T help but bring this to mind when listening. I believe a more fitting production, and a better melding as a band will see Axis of Advance going far.
Canada obviously has one of the angriest lots of bands available. How long will it take the public to recognize Axis of Advance, Frozen Shadows, Conqueror, Godless North, Allfather, GoatWAR, Megiddo, and Lust (perhaps a Canadian/Quebec compilation is in order, not unlike the Icelandic "Fire and Ice")? These bands are all far superior to any of the third class Norwegian or German bands allowed to record with budgets thank to numerous worthless labels…
© 1999 brand
This is extremely technical in terms of instrumentation and structure. There's quite literally zero repetition in the two original tracks (plus a ripping sped up Sacrifice cover from "Forward to Termination" which really does justice to that riff!) presented by the band. I don't have the time, but I'm sure a person could count one hundred individual drum, guitar, and bass riffs in each song. The guitars are really well produced at the same time; they have an unnatural feel to them. That Thergothon style doom-break in the first track really makes excellent usage of the production. Still, the production is rather flat, and I hope the band work on that. Especially in terms of vocals, which seem to be pitch-fucked. I hope Wor goes natural for future recordings. The lyrics aren't included here, but by looking at them, and taking the meaning of "Axis of Advance" into affect, I'd assume they are about the more technical aspects of war.
The drumming, performed by Read of Conqueror (and cult Cremation, an early 90s black/death metal band who were semi-popular), will be praised by reviewers, myself included. I love drumming like this! It's just so fucking incredibly technical that it never gets boring! As one of the fastest drummers in the scene, his high kit work blows my fucking head off…
Maybe because there's so much going on at once, but "Landline" reminds me of Razor playing at the speed of Marduk, led by a psychotic vocalist. The band don't have any thrash breaks/stops/build-up like Razor, this is modern metal after all, but there's so many chaotic and technical riffs/changes that you CAN'T help but bring this to mind when listening. I believe a more fitting production, and a better melding as a band will see Axis of Advance going far.
Canada obviously has one of the angriest lots of bands available. How long will it take the public to recognize Axis of Advance, Frozen Shadows, Conqueror, Godless North, Allfather, GoatWAR, Megiddo, and Lust (perhaps a Canadian/Quebec compilation is in order, not unlike the Icelandic "Fire and Ice")? These bands are all far superior to any of the third class Norwegian or German bands allowed to record with budgets thank to numerous worthless labels…
© 1999 brand