Aoria - The Constant

Last Updated on Sunday, 18 November 2012 16:28 Written by EvaLantsoght

Artist: Aoria

Album: The Constant

Label: Version Studio Records

Genre: Metal, Prog rock, Post-rock, Atmospheric Metal

The Constant is the debut album of the Swedish band Aoria, consisting of three members who gained respect and appreciation for their talent in A Swarm of the Sun, October Tide, and Katatonia – experienced folks indeed.

The resulting album these three men have created is beyond stunning. It does not happen everyday that a record gives me goosebumps all over my arms and legs, but that has happened every time I listened to this album. There is so much emotion embodied within their music. And then there are the vocals by Erik Nilsson that contain the frailty of Thom Yorke (Radiohead) and melancholia of Vincent Cavanagh (Anathema).

The opening track of the album, “A Slow Moving Storm” immediately captures the attention with a few dark and sluggish chords, but then the music transforms to a captivating frailty. It's precisely the duality between fierce, menacing metal and the almost acoustic, desperately calm parts that make these tracks so moving.

“The Black Heart” has a repetitiveness in the lyrics that hypothesize my ears – and makes me want to spread my arms to the skies and shout it all out.

While the entire album washes over the listener as a constant motion of ebbing calm and flooding metal, some tracks (like “”Assassination”) seem to shiver with emotion they can barely hold, but still try to confine, while on other tracks (like the haunting “You Really Gave It All, Didn't You?”) all rage and despair of the earth seem to be gushing out and carrying me asunder.

The penultimate track “The Bleeder” is built up like one of today's best post-rock compositions: starting from just bells and then adding layer after layer, while still keeping the attention of the listener. This incredibly good album finishes with “An Overwhelming Calm”, a finale drenched in melancholia and drifting on an moodswing-turned-into-sound.

This six-track album certainly will please the fans of Anathema (recent work), Porcupine Tree, Blackfield, Riverside and Opeth, or any music that talks straight to the heart.

Listen to a track from The Constant here: