Aeons – The Ghosts of What We Knew
Aeons – The Ghosts of What We Knew
Sliptrick Records
Release Date: 02/07/24
Running Time: 66:00
Review by Paul Hutchings
10/10
Are you aware of Aeons? The band who ply their trade from the Isle of Man. Yep, that little chunk of rock between Scotland and Ireland, famous for the TT Races, the Laxey Wheel, Nigel Mansell and the cat with no tail. Okay, now I’ve got the stereotypes out of the way, much to everyone’s relief I’m sure, perhaps we can focus on the music. Two albums in, “The Ghosts of What We Knew” is the third release by the quintet, whose previous offerings I discovered following a discussion at Hammerfest with Chris Jennings, owner of the fantastic Worship Metal website.
If you missed out on debut “A Tragic End” and 2021’s “Consequences”, do yourself a favour and hunt them down on your streaming platforms. As their press release correctly states, Aeons are a gift waiting to be unwrapped for the rest of the world.
If you want to put a badge on them, I suppose it would be progressive metal with traditional and metalcore infused elements. But there is much more to this album. Gentle acoustic segments mix comfortably with spine-crushing heavy parts, aggressive growls cross paths with deliciously clean singing, all benefiting from the fine production quality, with mastering by Sebastian ‘Seeb’ Levermann of German power metal band Orden Ogan. It’s drenched with emotion, builds an atmosphere that is hard to dispel, and demonstrates a high level of musicianship and virtuosity. Melodies and harmonies are replaced by raging death growls before the lure of more traditional style metal takes over.
Opener ‘Noose’ begins with a solo acoustic guitar that quickly segues into a crushing riff, albeit one layered in melody before some huge breakdowns kick in. One wonders what is coming, and though this is a ferocious entrance, it’s possibly the ideal start point, leading into a complex and intricate collection of songs that get better on every listen. Vocalist Skippy Hilton switches from death growls to Corey Taylor-esque cleans with ease.
As you work through the record you’ll discover multiple changes in writing, which makes this such a compelling release. There’s the stunning guitar work on ‘Circles’, a soaring elevation that won’t fail to lift the spirits, the darker ‘Cascades’ with its emotional content, and the penultimate song ‘Machines’ with its rich atmosphere and explosive finale. In fact, the whole album is rich in adventurous quality, brave decisions and a depth and texture it’s difficult to describe.
And hidden in this album is one even more mighty piece of work. The 19-minutes that comprises ‘Ghost’ provides Aeons with a canvas on which to paint their work, and which they draw deeply from a palette of modern and more traditional styles. It’s hard to describe the song as it winds its way from almost ethereal passages to snarling aggression before dipping more towards classic Metalcore harmonies. As it evolves, it’s almost impossible not to be drawn into the song, such is the intricacy and ambition. There are numerous influences hidden here, but the Opeth vibe is amongst the strongest, with the likes of Countless Skies and Lunas Call also coming to mind. Guitar work is amongst the best I’ve heard this year, whilst the engine room is nailed down tight.
With the confidence to conclude with the majestic ‘Collapse’, Aeons demonstrate with “The Ghosts of What We Knew” that the well-kept secret may well be out of the bag very soon indeed. This is magnificent.
TRACKLISTING:
01. Noose
02. Home
03. Blood
04. Circles
05. Thanatos
06. Cascade
07. Ghosts
08. Machines
09. Collapse
LINE-UP:
Skipp – Vocals
Joe – Bass
Justin – Drums
Scott – Guitars + Vocals
LINKS:
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