Formed in late 2018, AITHERIOS is a hybrid genre metal band from Northern California. Born from a desire to break the mold of modern metal, the band brings a fresh sound comprised of melodic leads, neoclassical technicality, and progressive elements. Constantly innovating and experimenting, AITHERIOS is poised to conquer the metal world with a sound unlike any other! "MMXIX" is the band's debut EP, and contains three tracks.

"Awaiting Omnipotence" leads off the EP. It opens with a fast and furious flurry of guitars, bass and drums, with vocals that sound like Deathcore to me...sometimes high screams and other times lower guttural utterances. His range is impressive. The Progressive elements begin to take center stage, especially the way the instruments stay in sync while manipulating time like masters. "Enshrined in Embers" opens with somber bass notes and building some ambiance in the background. When the main riff hits, it buries you with weight and aggression. The vocals are oppressive, and the meter shifts to and fro. A skillful lead guitar solo follows the melody line very closely. It ends up exactly where it started, with those ambient bass tones.

"A Legacy of Desolation" opens with soft bass tones, leading to a heavy assault complete with a big scream. An ambient interlude rears its head about half way through, with spoken words that are a bit hard to make out. The rage returns with alternating screams and low guttural vocals. The really mix it up with diverse riffing so you never really know where it's heading. Overall, this was indeed very hard to pigeonhole. I can hear some neoclassical elements for sure, especially in the last track. They are very talented musicians and have a bright future ahead of them. The EP has only three tracks, but the way they mix things up while holding down a tight technical pattern is impressive.