Before I started listening to metal music, I would've found it difficult to believe that I would end reviewing three albums in a year by artists whose names started with "ae." But here we are! Aephanemer, Aether Realm, and now just Aether.
This is a straightforward, but very fun, symphonic death metal album. I don't get the sense that these guys are trying to knock my socks off with their ambition, like Aether Realm is with "The Sun, The Moon, The Stars." Aether's style is more workmanlike. The tracks are short, clean, and organized around memorable hooks. Sometimes the hooks have a whiff of cheesiness or melodrama that I liked too.
The album's killer element are the keyboards, which have a magical, crystalline quality. They open the album and provide grounding throughout. I love that "Elements" is a quiet keyboard prelude to "Tale of Fire."
The first half of the album is fairly standard, going-on-an-adventure, ass-kicking stuff. The second half is still high-energy, but also seemed a bit moodier. "Insomnia" is proggy and guitar-heavy. So I think the album succeeds on taking the listener on an emotional journey? I wish that the styles had been more distinct...then I wouldn't have had to end the previous sentence with a question mark.
Anyway, the only really unforgivable thing about this album is the cover. If you can get past that, there is a lot to enjoy here.
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