Saturday, January 17, 2015

CD review: ATRA VETOSUS Voices From The Eternal Night (Immortal Frost Productions) by Frank Garcia

ATRA VETOSUS
Voices From The Eternal Night
Atra Vetosus is a five piece Melodic Black metal band from Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. They started in 2011. Members include; Josh "Thorodan" Gee - Vocals, Josh "Slikver" Young - Guitars/Vocals/Composition, Damon Parker - Guitars, Matthew Lopez - Bass, Josef Bound - Drums. Voices From The Eternal night was released under Immortal Frost Productions in March 2013. A strong solid production. heavy guitar tones, punchy bass, upfront vocals and strong and engaging drums. We also get a mix of black metal style vocals and clean vocals on some of the tracks. The intro is a clichĂ© storm sound that I have heard on a lot of albums but it goes by fast. Once the music starts it quickly goes into the blast beats. The acoustic guitar sounds great, very clear and pronounced. The CD comes with a full color booklet with lyrics to all the songs. Reading each passage as I listen builds a stronger image in my head on what the music is all about. Many dark escapes, exploring ancient times, hopelessness and despair are what come through on several songs like Under The Wings Of Darkness and Nocturnal Winds. Some of the riffs remind me of old Dissection and the early In Flames style of writing. A total of eight tracks, each with a unique feeling and well thought out arrangements. Nocturnal Winds is among my favorites; it’s a long song but never gets dull and its content is very fitting. The Spirit Of The Forgotten Woods leads you in with a very memorable ensemble of clean guitar and keyboards that builds up into a brutal assault of thundering double kicks and intense vocals. The pristine sound of the acoustic passage for the track Into The Dawnless Night is captivating and I found myself listening to it several times. In conclusion, this album has many things to offer from a melodic perspective to a black metal intensity, combining those in a cohesive manner to create dark adventures with many harmonies. -Frank Garcia