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Album Reviews : Deluge – Æther

By on November 4, 2015

a3477706944_16Quick, name one French metal band. If you answered Gojira, congratulations, you’re about as knowledgeable as I am when it comes to this European country’s metal scene. Hopefully Deluge’s latest album, Æther, will put another coordinate on the map for you, because this album rocks.

Breeding somewhere between black metal, ambient music and post-hardcore, Deluge crosses unusual barriers in the most fluid way imaginable. The music is emotive, cathartic, as well as chaotic and aggressive. Blast beats pound furiously along to forlorn chords and tortured vocals, stopping in exactly the right moment for an ambient respite. A lot of the music on Æther is incredibly dichotic, in that it’s both uplifting and depressing. As a black metal fan whose passion for the almost self-parodical genre was waning in light of the current mood of the scene, this was a fantastic release to immerse myself in.

Highlights for me were “Appâts,” “Klarträumer,” and “Bruine,” as each of them captures the overall mood of the album, and showcases both aspects of the band’s style.

Deluge’s Æther isn’t an album you can listen to passively; it draws all your attention, as you concentrate to discern all details from the pained, melodic dirges strewn across this band’s landscape. I’m hoping that fans of Ulver, Agalloch, and Blut Aus Nord will take as much from this album as I did.

About

Benjen is a qualified teacher residing in the south-east suburbs of Perth. Benjen was introduced to hard rock at the age of 12 with Papa Roach's "Love-Hate Tragedy," and has developed a love for hard rock and metal since. He also has a keen interest in gaming and almost every fandom imaginable, from Doctor Who to Deadpool. He can be followed on Twitter @thetoadmode