Second album for Atræ Bilis.
Three years after their debut, the Canadian combo of Jordan Berglund (vocals), David Stepanavicius (guitar) and Luka Govednik (drums), joined by their new bassist Miles Morrison (Dissemination), unveil Aumicide in collaboration with their label 20 Buck Spin and produced by Christian Donaldson (Cryptopsy).
Protoxenesis will begin by drowning us in dissonance before unleashing their rhythmic mix, incredibly effective for its complexity. The same goes for Hell Simulation which will explode the violence with powerful vocal parts and devastating riffs, skilfully placing their heady harmonics to create an intoxicating contrast, before Salted In Stygia strikes back, focusing more on impressive, cybernetic sounds to impose their universe. Sharp guitars and some clean backing vocals are also noticeable on the choruses, then Inward To Abraxas comes in with a catchy groove that strangely complements its overpowering blast. The hazy dissonance again haunts the composition, which suddenly calms down before picking up again, leading us to the infernal To Snuff The Spirit Guides, where the explosive rhythmic pattern never ceases to molest us, pouring out its most violent elements between a few more plaintive passages. The final lets the eponymous Aumicide take over for three minutes of dark haunting melancholy, before moving on to A Kingdom Of Cortisol, where the voice resurfaces to lead us down the road of brutality with a heartfelt Old School touch. Monolith Aflame begins with an intriguing quietness, but heaviness is never far away, ready to strike while letting itself be tinged by the tenebrous elements and backing vocals that give a unique touch to the choruses. The sound is broken in two, but the second part is clearly more oppressive though less aggressive, an attitude that changes completely with Through The Hologram’s Cervix, which doesn’t waste a single moment to display all its savagery on a high tempo, while still placing a few disturbing harmonics. The track is short but incisive, and it gives way to Excruciate Incarnate to accentuate the band’s Prog roots, whether with a jerky approach, airy guitar or simply that natural tangle of riffs the band weaves continuously as their sound gradually fades into nothingness.
On their debut EP, Atræ Bilis hit the ground running, carrying the legacy of Canadian-style riffing. With Aumicide, the band leaves us no choice: they proudly rank alongside their predecessors in the Progressive Death scene. Not to be missed.
95/100