Full Length Review: Azure Emote "The Third Perspective" (Selfmadegod Records) by Dave Wolff

Band: Azure Emote

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Country: USA

Genre: Avant garde death metal

Full length: The Third Perspective

Format: Slipcase CD, digital

Label: Selfmadegod Records

Release date: March 6, 2020

It’s been seven years since we last heard new material from the US death metallers Azure Emote, as its members are involved in a legion of other bands. Their third and latest full length “The Third Perspective” shows how colossal, epic music results from years of experience and planning. Is it groundbreaking enough to redefine extreme metal? It’s too early to answer yet, but since it’s been made available to the public it’s been described as “a sonic masterpiece”, “an invigorating acid trip” and “an abstract picture of existential nihilism”. What’s certain is Azure Emote is a band that defies any and every expectation of what a death metal album should sound like. If the progressive ideas of Celtic Frost, Amorphis, Cephalic Carnage and Arcturus challenged your ideas of broad-minded, cutting edge music, Azure Emote will take you to the next level. With guest musicians from Death, Fear Factory, Therion, Deicide, Hate Eternal and others assisting in the recording process, this album achieves sophistication and refinement you may or may not have imagined possible, depending on who you usually listen to. The first track “Loss” makes it clear from the outset that Azure Emote doesn’t specialize in hashing, rehashing and re-rehashing muddled noise and inarticulate vocals. The term “evil has no boundaries” applies as “The Third Perspective” not only thinks outside the box but throws it out the window. Here you get experienced, elaborate death metal enhanced by black metal, prog metal, symphonic metal and more untried ideas than would be expected from an album exhibiting brutality and dexterity with cold, atmospheric, surreal, operatic and futuristic themes. While the guitars and bass are not downtuned as many death metal albums are, the heaviness and depth of this album come from its abundance of different sounds, especially the strings and electronics added in the most inopportune of places. I should add the lyrics are phrased fluently and comprehensibly for all their guttural thunder, and the clean singing meant to complement the gutturals paints a larger picture of what death metal can continue to broaden if a band has the proper vision to broaden it. –Dave Wolff

Lineup:

Mike Hrubovcak: Vocals, flute, maracas, straw, harmonica, keyboards, samples, electronics, drum programming

Ryan Moll: Guitars, bass

Mike Heller: Drums

Track list:

1. Loss

2. Curse Of Life

3. Dark Realms

4. Negative Polarity

5. Three Six Nine

6. Solitary Striving