Aortes – Devouring Gloom
Aortes – Devouring Gloom
Self-released
Release Date: 28/02/23
Running Time: 47:00
Review by Rory Bentley
8/10
How’s your 2023 going? Weather drizzly as shit? Still broke from Christmas? The thought of being in a beer garden seems like a distant memory never to be attained again? Good, because I’ve got some harrowing Lithuanian Post-Metal to soundtrack the “Devouring Gloom” you’re feeling. Let’s be honest that was a world-class segue and you know it.
Aortes are such contrarians that they’ve even released this album on a Tuesday, the low-key worst day of the week. Luckily I love miserable, oppressive music so this is a breath of warm summer air to me. Those looking for something to lift their spirits should probably fuck off at this point, this ain’t for you, amigo.
The cavernous screeches of anguish and crushing atmosphere conveyed on the opening one-two of bad news that is ‘While I Wilt’ and the seething ‘Lay My Bones’ should give those of you still with me on this morose journey a decent idea of your mileage with the rest of this record. But if you do stick around the title track offers some stalking, unbearably tense Cult Of Luna worship that eventually explodes into something that combines the anguished howls of Amenra with the mesmeric brutality of Neurosis.
This opening trio sets the pace for the rest of the album, with each song alternating between brooding, stripped down threats of unimaginable violence to frantic, gnashing despair in an eruption of stabbing riffs and the sound of a geezer having a mental breakdown. Rather brilliantly Nirvana’s ‘Something In The Way’ gets the full Post-Metal makeover we never knew it needed and at least offers you something familiar to cling onto even though it’s still clearly absolutely horrible.
This is a band who have clearly mastered their craft and have managed to strip these compositions to the fundamental aspects that make the genre great. While I’d never call music like this predictable, I found myself able to reliably gauge where these compositions were going next based on the disturbing amount of time I’ve spent listening to the genre in the past. This isn’t necessarily a criticism as everything is done to a very high standard and each transition is incredibly satisfying, but to be pushing the upper echelons of my admittedly harsh scoring, I need to be kept on my toes a bit more, lads.
By the time ‘Immersion’s’ droning wall of distortion rings out to cap things off I’ve had a lovely time in this album’s company. It may not push boundaries like the genre’s leaders but this is comforting discomfort. Like putting on an old sweater that hates you. And is covered in broken glass.
‘Something In The Way’ Official Video
TRACKLISTING:
01. While I Wilt
02. Lay My Bones
03. Devouring Gloom
04. Something In The Way
05. With Me Forever
06. Crown of Nails
07. Salvation
08. Immersion
LINE-UP:
4 lads who need a hug
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Rory Bentley and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
