ALBUM REVIEW: Ad Astra – Aphyxion
Danish metalcore band APHYXION have had the most unbelievable start to their career. Recent personal achievements ticked off their bucket list include supporting metal giants METALLICA, SOILWORK and SOULFLY on tour, as well as becoming the youngest band ever to play Wacken Open Air. Over the span of a decade, APHYXION had successfully managed to establish themselves as one of the most promising death metal bands in the scene. Only four years ago, the group made a brave and potentially risky decision to change up their sound on their third studio album Void. Now releasing their fourth album Ad Astra via Circular Wave, APHYXION describe themselves today as a modern metalcore group, ready to evolve further into the scene and expand their ever growing fanbase.
Opener Roll The Dice builds excitement from the start with a thrillingly heavy metalcore guitar riff. From the get-go Michael Vahl‘s vocal delivery is so impactful and emotive, resulting in a captivating studio performance. The constantly changing melodies may seem a little haphazard at first listen, but the song still makes for a fantastic introduction. Memory Trace intrigues the listener yet again with some distorted vocals taking the lead before Vahl‘s unclean growls take centre stage. The instrumentals keep you engaged throughout, and the track is completed by an infectious chorus which is hard to get out of your head. The synthesisers in the background help to elevate the song’s potential even further.
Pathless is up next, featuring a cameo from Danish rock/metal band SIAMESE. Complete with some ARCHITECTS inspired riffs and a mix of fantastic unclean and cleaner vocal styles, this track demonstrates that APHYXION are most definitely a band on the rise. Rover also exceeds expectations. By this point, it seems evident that APHYXION are incapable of creating a bad song. They just seem to nail each aspect every single time, from hard-hitting instrumentals to addictive yet unique choruses. Next up is Oceans Of Time with a feature from German progressive metalcore unit CHAOSBAY, and this one has to have the best chorus yet – everyone should give this song a listen at least once.
Anomalies sounds like ARCHITECTS‘ Doomsday mark II in terms of its melodic progression, yet the band still make the track their own. You can even hear a slight doom metal influence in the background instrumentals leading up to the powerful breakdown, which is just so effective. Heavy Shadows with British metalcore crew IMMERSE is next on the bill, which is another interesting track. The pre-chorus almost immerses itself in the djent genre, with its SPIRITBOX-esque melodies successfully changing things up.
Out Of Breath is the first song on the release that struggles to take the listener’s breath away, but it is fascinating that Vahl‘s clean vocals in the chorus sound pretty similar to Kellin Quinn from SLEEPING WITH SIRENS. Neon Billboards is on a similar wavelength unfortunately, with the chorus not really piquing much interest. The band correct their course with Fade To Black, where you can hear the raw, emotive power in Vahl‘s vocal delivery for an impressive and impactful track that really packs a punch. The closing track is Not Gonna Make It. It contains the perfect mix of unclean and clean vocal lines, and brings about the end of the album in a fantastic way.
APHYXION have created a truly remarkable metalcore album here, proving to fans old and new that they are certainly a band on the up. Without a doubt, this is one of the best releases within the genre in recent years. APHYXION are sure to go on to bigger and better things in the future and we can’t wait to see what they do next.
Rating: 8/10
Ad Astra is out now via Circular Wave.
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