Album Reviews : Ayera – The Chaos Rebellion

Once again I find myself reviewing a new release by a band that, despite being released independently, lacks very little in the way of presentation and sound. In this case it is Ayera, a young band from Central Victoria and their thoroughly enjoyable debut E.P The Chaos Rebellion.

Ayera describe themselves as a mixture of Bay Area thrash and early Gothenburg death metal, which is quite an accurate assessment, though I would have to say that it is the latter that wins out overall. Whilst I could almost let that surmise the whole endeavour it wouldn’t really do the band justice as there is a great deal of potential shown here.

The overriding concept of the release is the negative effect that organised religion, any easy target if ever there was one, has had on humanity. Each of the songs utilises a specific historical event to get that point across and this is done intelligently via some well written lyrics that are to the point but never blatant.

Thankfully this acumen is also reflected in the music itself which contains all of the trademarks you would expect based upon the above description. The songs are very well played and structured, a real credit considering it is the bands first release, the riffs and rhythms are memorable and stylish without being overly flashy and there is just the right amount of melody added to ensure that it always remains interesting.

Given that The Chaos Rebellion only lasts for just under thirty minutes, including the obligatory instrumental intro, I note that Ayera haven’t over extended themselves and have gone for quality over quantity in every aspect. This includes the well balanced production and the intriguing artwork courtesy of Melbourne artist Luke Pickett that is suitably dark but hardly stereotypical.

If I was to suggest an area for future improvement it would be that Ayera need to inject a little more of their own identity into the music but, other than that small detail that can easily be rectified in time, they are certainly off to a fine start. Put simply, there is a much to like about “The Chaos Rebellion” so take the time to give it a listen should the opportunity to do so present itself and support a promising young band who have all the bases covered.

7/10

Band: Ayera
Album: The Chaos Rebellion
Year: 2009
Genre: Melodic Death/Thrash Metal
Label: Self Released
Origin: Melbourne, Australia
http://www.myspace.com/ayerametal

Track Listing:
1. Reckoning Rising
2. Heretics Of Beziers
3. A Hollowed Existence
4. The Chaos Rebellion
5. Black Messiah
6. Sufferance