Wanderer
Aeon of Eternal
•
July 7, 2021
Every week I seem to have to flex my genre-nerding muscles a little bit more. Enter AEON OF ETERNAL, a one-man Polish melodic death-doom project (say that ten times quickly!) that, in their very first full-length release, give more established bands a genuine run for their money. A panoply of influences is on display - not just within the cumbersome sub-sub-genre that I suggested at the outset - as evidenced from the very first moments of album opener "Niwl". Vaguely middle eastern sounds open on guitars and female vocals (the latter adding a richly complex layer to this whole release). We are then inducted into the melodic elements that tie this whole wondrous soundscape together. There's a deeply satisfying melodic core to this music, which remains constant as we weave from death to doom and back again - it's the mortar that binds the different elements together. There are tender moments here too, demonstrated on this track and especially on "Sumu" and "Koit". Soulpacifica's guest vocals create an almost ethereal effect - it's easy to lose yourself in this kind of music (perhaps the moniker 'atmospheric' should be added to the sub-sub-genre classification!)
"Daruuraha" stands as the heaviest offering on the record, most conventionally death-doom on what is otherwise (and in many ways) less than conventional. Tomasz' guitar solos and Soulpacifica's vocals combine to euphoric climax in this song, with melody still sailing through the middle and guiding the course. "Deigh" opens with howling winds and seismically low notes of foreboding before diving back into the well-established, and highly successful, formula Aeon has built up to now. It feels like a moment of catharsis that the rest of the record has built up to, pent up emotions coming across very strongly. There's even hints of black metal here, hardly surprising given the significant fluidity of genres we currently find ourselves in. "Torden" has a distinct feeling of closure about it - something in the melodies perhaps. Like "Deigh", this track stomps and batters its way to emotive conclusion before fading out once again. We finish on "Veda", a mournful piano track that feels like it would have been more appropriate at the start of the album? Maybe just a personal preference.
Looking at the whole thing though, this is a remarkable achievement. For a first feature-length (as a solo effort no less!) there is much to be impressed by. Aeon's mastery of the instruments is cause enough to be impressed, but on top of this a truly unique and rich soundscape is crafted out of a number of different influences and expertly bound together in a way that pleases the ears and the heart (one of my softer moments!)
8 / 10
Excellent
Songwriting
Musicianship
Memorability
Production
"Wanderer" Track-listing:
1. Niwl
2. Sumu
3. Koit
4. Daruuraha
5. Deigh
6. Torden
7. Veda
Aeon of Eternal Lineup:
Aeon - All instruments and Vocals
Soulpacifica (Guest) - Vocals (female)
César Moreira (Guest) - Vocals (male)
Tomasz Radzyńsk (Guest) - Guitars (solos)
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