Album & EP Reviews

Aeffect – Theory of Mind

Aeffect – Theory of Mind
Self-Released
Release Date: 02/06/2023 
Running Time: 51:58 
Review by Victor Augusto 
8/10

Aeffect’s new album “Theory of Mind” is an album hard to digest and I must confess that I loved this indigestion! Yes, my fiends! I am starting my thoughts with a very cheap clickbait title to talk about the UK masters, the duo of Aeffect and we have too much to talk about to explain why I am saying these lovely harsh words about them. First, as you probably noticed, I loved the album. What I am trying to say is how complex their music is. I mentioned how hard it is to understand, and it required my attention the many times that I had to listen to it. I have been trying for more than a month to have an idea of what I could say about them.

Maybe I can mention the low tunes or the heavy arrangements over the complex riffs and how many riffs you can hear alongside just one track, but it would sound like a very superficial analysis. My first doubt was what style they exactly play. In Brazil, people call this kind of music Djent, or Djent Metal. Basically, it consists of a very brutal Death Metal, but instead of the exaggerated speed focused on double kicks with a few notes being constantly repeated, Djent offers a complex number of riffs always followed by a very present bass sound.

This style is like having the bass as the main conductor and guitars just following it. Everything comes with an annoying melodic chorus. Well, in this case here, forget anything about melodies. I confess that I don’t know exactly all the details about it or if this name even really exists outside of Brazil, but Aeffect goes a little further. They are brutally dense and heavy all the time. You won’t have time to take a breath!

We are indeed going to hear something like Morbid Angel from the Steve Tucker era along the tracks, but there are industrial elements coming from the Fear Factory sound, also few Doom Metal influences too. Maybe it sounds confusing, but one great goal here is how the band mixed it to not let it be so confusing. As I mentioned before, we also have an incredible number of notes and riffs that won’t make you easily memorise the tracks. It looks like I am hating the experience of hearing it, but no. It is exactly what will make you feel addicted to their music, because you will never know what is coming next. 

Another positive aspect is how the album production helped to ease the process of listening. Everything is so clear, but not that plastic soulless clear production. It carries good measure among the organic and the digitalized production. 

As a home brewer, I can describe this album as hard work to brew an Imperial Stout. This beer requires double the ingredients, also double the work for cooking. The process to brew can drive you nuts. After finishing, the ABV (alcohol by volume) is so high that it tastes like a punch hitting your face very hard. Visually it looks like you are drinking car oil instead of beer, but you are going to love it, despite the first bad impression about it.

Maybe Aeffect music could offer this bad impression at first glance, but they indeed do an amazing job. Considering all efforts the band put into it to create this album, I can assure you that the vocalist/guitarist/bassist Mark Broster and the drummer Mike Pitman come from another planet to have such incredible skill to compose “Theory of Mind”.

Aeffect – Theory of Mind Official Audio

TRACKLISTING:
01. Patronage
02. Retraction
03. Emergent Behaviour
04. Leading to Decay
05. Theory of Mind
06. Manifest
07. Acceptance
08. Dematerialise

LINE-UP:
Mark Broster – Guitars, Vocals, Bass
Mike Pitman – Drums

LINKS:

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