Australia’s Atra Vetosus are still going strong.
Still signed to Immortal Frost Productions, Josh “Slikver” Young (guitar, Astral Winter, Lost in Desolation, Take This Life…), Josh Gee (vocals/keyboards, Lost in Desolation), Josef Bound (drums) and Jeremy Hughes (bass, ex-Sanctify the Serpent) unveil their third album, Undying Splendour.
The album kicks off with the eerie quietude of This Fallow Heart, the album’s first track which soon exposes us to its cold but heady melodies, then its imposing saturation and visceral howls. Melancholy is particularly present on this track, and is reinforced when the clean vocals appear, making the performance intoxicating before the soothing vaporous break that tints the rest of the track with soaring Shoegaze influences, leading us to the epic Transcendental Flight. The sound is quite similar, alternating piercing harmonics and moments of overpowering fury under majestic keyboards that only subside to let this magnificent interlude charm our spirit before plunging us back into this ocean of darkness, accompanied by a few backing vocals. The track ends with a striking climax, then Elysian Echoes takes its place with a haunting sound, but the rhythm sometimes becomes more playful, creating an interesting contrast that gradually flares up, reaching a devastating intensity where DSBM influences color the vocals. Forsaking Dreaded Paths follows with a few soothing piano notes, but drums are not far away and once again set things alight, and the riffs start up again, at first fairly constant, then more jerky to match the screams. A soothing break gives us a chance to catch our breath, but the onslaught starts all over again, leaving us drifting in violence towards Where Limbs Become Trees, a nearly two-minute interlude where crystalline notes multiply on the guitars to reassure us. Tormentation of the Guileless will bring this surrounding calm to an end, letting us know its fury on the virulent moments, its disquieting gentleness on its slower passages, the recovery thanks to energetic drums, then its sudden visceral explosion that leads us to what seems to be a tragic end, but the sound continues and borrows from Doom to crush us one last time before the becomes soothing again, marking the end of this chapter.
Atra Vetosus‘ music is perfect for transporting our minds between its layers of darkness. The icy riffs and visceral vocal parts make Undying Splendour an extremely tasty album to listen to, and rediscover time and time again.
90/100