Azell returns from its cosmic journey.
After a critically acclaimed debut album, David Napier (guitar/drums/vocals) and Courtney Napier (bass/vocals/drums) are already releasing their second album, Astralis, via Rottweiler Records.
From the Womb of Oblivion doesn’t take long to captivate us with its haunting slowness, quickly joined by the couple’s screams, but also by a touch of dissonance that blends perfectly with the peaks of intensity. The overwhelming groove prevails throughout the track, somewhat disturbed by more prominent drums, but From the Womb of Oblivion follows suit with occult Doom roots that allow for livelier, but also more violent passages. The alternating vocal parts create an addictive contrast before giving way to When Darkness Unfolds, which immediately launches into crushing riffs, later followed by a few surprising touches, notably unexpected bursts of intensity that punctuate the hammering flow of the guitars. Waves of Remembrance gives us a moment’s respite before gently kicking off with warm Stoner influences that counterbalance the background guitar and its unsettling dissonance, but our minds are brought back to reality with The Crumbling Facade and its strange introduction, followed by the same heavy, greasy sound as usual. The track is more mechanical, more metallic, but also much more aggressive when the vocals resurface, ultimately invoking disturbing harmonics before letting Hostage to the Machine bring its imposing but also rather distressing touches. The sound accelerates towards the end, then Shifting Reality offers an approach that is also oriented towards more massive tones, where we become aware of the cosmic influences that make us feel tiny compared to the magnitude of the saturated riffs. The band suddenly speeds up on Invasion of Self, a much shorter and more aggressive track that will surprise many, then slows down again before letting us catch our breath and moving on to Threads of Connection, which definitively returns to the slow pace and fat sound that gently crackles over the heaviest parts. The leads easily provide the transcendent touch that takes our minds on a journey before we have to endure The End Is Inevitable, where the abrasive vocals return to accompany the hellish riffs. The title seems darker than the previous ones, but it will also undergo some interference before Time Slows to Nothing takes its place, presenting a final instrumental stage that also adopts cosmic tones from the 1950s, an extremely tortured saxophone that sounds the death knell for the album, allowing a final vocal sample to act as our downfall.
Although I missed out on their first effort, Azell impressed me with this massive and dark second opus! Astralis makes us realize how small and powerless we are in the face of a wall of sound from which cosmic harmonics and terrifying screams emerge!
90/100