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Progland was founded by John Gabbard in 2005. It's purpose has been to provide you, the music community with the latest music and dvd reviews. It will continue to be your link to the most popular music reviews in the progressive world.

 

Axamenta - "Ever-Arch-I-Tech-Ture"

Label - LSP/Shiver Records
Reviewed by: Kevin Cloe
Genre: Progressive Metal
Country: Belgium
Language: English
Length: 64 minutes
Release Date: November 27, 2006
Band Members: Peter Meynckens / main vocals except on "Threnody For An Endling" all vocals and vocal melodies (arrangements by Daniel Gildenlöw from PAIN OF SALVATION) Ian van Gemeren / lead & acoustic guitars, orchestration and clean backing vocals, except on "Ashes To Flesh": 2nd solo by Jacob Hansen
  Sven Deckers / rhythm guitar & spoken voice on "The Omniscient" Sven Janssens / bass guitar, orchestration on "Ravager 1.6.6.3."
  Tom van Oosterwijck / drums & percussion
  CHAPTER 1: The Chainreaction is Initiated
Track Listing: 1.)- Incognation 8.)-Threnody For An Endling
    CHAPTER 3: The Chainreaction is Saturated
  2.)- Demons Shelter Within 9.)- Ravager 1.6.6.3.
  3.)- Ashes To Flesh 10.)-Of Genesis And Apocalypse
  4.)-A Nation In Atrophy 11.)-Foreboding
  5.)- The Midnight Grotesque 12.)-Shackles Cross
  CHAPTER 2: The Chainreaction is Terminated 13.)-The Omniscient
  6.)-Prophet Set To Witness  
  7.)-Ever-Arch-I-Tech-Ture  
     
     
The Review

Axamenta used to be a black metal outfit that did little to distinguish itself from the typical black clothing-clad, makeup wearing, screaming kids. With this album, however, the band inserts a large amount of prog tendencies that has grabbed the attention of prog metallers. Another thing that grabbed the attention of the aforementioned group is the vocal talents of Daniel Gildenlow from Pain of Salvation, who lends his voice to this album for an entire song: "Threnody for an Ending". This is actually what induced me to check these guys out.

Beware: although Gildenlow appears on this album, the band sounds NOTHING like Pain of Salvation. The majority of the album is a mixture of black metal, melodic death metal (very fast-paced) and a healthy dose of prog sentimentalities. So what we have here is very heavy stuff with many twists and turns, segues, TONS of proggy keys (synths, piano, etc.) and lots of death and black vocals. In fact - the only clean vocals that appear here are on 3 tracks (one of which is Gildenlow's song). "Threnody for an Ending" sounds completely like Pain of Salvation, as one might imagine, and in fact could have been on "Remedy Lane" or "Perfect Element". It is obviously the best track here. Being a POS freak - this alone makes the purchase worthwhile even if I ended up not liking the rest of the album. Turns out I do, however.

At first I was a little put off by the lack of many clean vocals on the rest of the album, bu the sheer imaginativeness of the album led me to give it a chance. The album is a concept piece divided into 3 parts. It is supposedly about someone who is forced to travel through time against his will, though I am still figuring out the concept. Extremely intricate yet very heavy guitar leads will dizzy you as you listen to this - but the prog element is never far away with the strings and piano adding equally complex touches. Drums are typical of the genre - fast and precise to the point they sound inhuman. Death vocals mix with the more shrieking black metal type vocals, and tempos are constantly changing. I am reminded of a more proggy version of Dark Tranquillity (best example I could come up with).

For those into the genre - this one will be a no brainer. A little more clean vocals would have pleased me, but I still like the album and it is definitely one of those releases that grows with time and takes many repeated listens to take it all in.

Rating: 3.5 stars

 

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