IATT is back to captivate our minds.
Four years have passed since their last album, but the Black Lion Records-signed band comprising Jay Briscoe (vocals/bass), Alec Pezzano (guitar/orchestrations), Joe Cantamessa (guitar, Remnants of Winter), and Paul Cole (drums) returns with their fourth album, Etheric Realms of the Night.
The Americans were joined by Didier Malherbe (flute) and Benjamin “Valcek” Karas (violin, Slaughtersun, Windfaerer).
Drift Away begins by hypnotizing us, whether with the ticking of the clock or its melancholic intro complemented by a sampled voice, then the distortion kicks in, making the track far more aggressive even before the screams kick in. We still find that melancholic touch in the additional instruments, but the band surprises us with more joyful and polished prog elements, while the final intense moments ultimately leave us with To Lie Beneath, the album’s longest track, where the musicians string together a series of rhythm changes. The flute isn’t left out, adding that touch of madness from time to time, but we can also find it in the keyboards or even within the strangest and most avant-garde riffs before enjoying a melancholic outro that leads into Somniphobia, a melodious yet abrasive track where the contrast is even more pronounced. Some passages are purely aggressive and barely tempered by the orchestrations, while others are much simpler, letting keyboards and screams lead the way toward Pavor Nocturnus, which grants us a moment of respite with its gentle introduction only to surprise us all the more with its most complex passages. There’s even a touch of Jazz to set the more frightening tone, like a nightmare that loops endlessly until Quietus sets us free, plunging us in turn into its near-constant anguish—but once again the track shifts, and the break soon delivers us to introduce ethereal folk influences that will seep into the return of the saturation. Waves of aggression follow one another then subside to make way for Walk Amongst and its ethereal yet oppressive intro, giving rise to a sound as heavy as possible that, even during the quiet passages, lingers in the mind, welcoming mysterious choirs before sinking once again into aggressive madness. The second half of the track alternates between violence and Jazz, but the two worlds converge on a climactic note before Hypnos brings the album to a close, delivering a magnificent piano instrumental barely overshadowed by a sampled voice that lends it a tragic tone just seconds before its end.
While IATT’s previous album leaned toward a sound heavily influenced by Progressive Metal taken to the extreme, Etheric Realms of the Night takes even greater liberties, even daring to incorporate touches of jazz to counterbalance the raw yet melodic intensity.
80/100
