ATRAE BILIS were formed in 2018 and they are from Vancouver, Canada. The technical Death Metal band released one EP and one full-length album so far. Their sophomore album “Aumicide“ was produced, mixed, and mastered by Christian Donaldson (BEYOND CREATION; CRYPTOPSY; DESPISE ICON) at The Grid. It has a length of about 40 minutes, and it was released via US Death and Doom Metal specialists 20 Buck Spin. The album starts with “Protoxenesis” and this is a two-minutes instrumental, which sets the scene for the things to come. The track transitions into “Hell Simulation” and now the journey of complex song structures, technically sophisticated guitar riffing and drumming, twists and turns in tempo and rhythm begins. The vocals are growls varying between the deep and medium end of the guttural range. “Hell Simulation” is a mid-tempo track with constant changes in rhythm. The sound is what you can expect from a technical Death Metal band, but this one does not suffer from overly complex patterns or too much technicality.

Altogether, it is a track also accessible for the more traditional Death Metal listener. “Salted In Stygia” raises the technicality in the riffing and includes progressive elements into the sound. The guitars also introduce a bit more atmospheric patterns and a few VOIVOD inspirations may not come by accident. The drumming includes a few blast-beat thunderstorms, and the vocals are versatile and use a broader guttural range. The track also makes use of effects, which are very contributing to the sound. “Inward To Abraxas” is a track at measured tempo with a sluggish rhythm. The riffing is more straightforward and direct with a bit of technicality added here and there. The drumming is mainly driven by the relentless double-bass, and the vocals use mainly deeper growls with a few tonal shifts. As the verse and chorus parts are relatively simple, the break starts to include complexity and atmospheric patterns introduced by the guitars. However, the track circles back to the simple and devastating riffing where it all had started. “Inward To Abraxas” is the official video release, and the YouTube link is provided below.

 “To Snuff The Spirit Guides” is a crushing track driven by the punishing riffs and the combination of blast-beats and double-bass drumming. The vocals vary again almost across the whole guttural range. As the track proceeds, the more complexity and technicality is added with twists in rhythm and tempo. Highlights of the track are the guitars and the vocal contribution. The title track is a slow and atmospheric track with dark and melancholic melodies. “Aumicide” is another instrumental driven mainly by the guitars. It transitions into the devastating “Kingdom Of Cortisol”, which is a mid-tempo track driven by the blast-beat attacks and the aggressive riffs. It is one of the more direct songs where the focus is not so much on technicality, at least during most of the playing time. It is one of the rare tracks with a short but contributing lead guitar solo.

 “A Monolith Aflame” is another one of those tracks at a measured tempo. As the album goes on, the sound becomes a bit repetitive at times, and “A Monolith Aflame” suffers from that as the track sounds similar to those earlier on the album. However, for me it is a good song as it combines direct and crushing parts with darkness put into melancholic melodies, where the mixture of both is spot on. “Through The Hologram’s Cervix” starts with several blast-beat attacks that drive the track forward. The riffing is complex at times and has once again a few progressive vibes. The vocals are the highlight of the track with the constant switch from brutal low growls to screams from the abyss. The album finishes with “Excruciate Incarnate” and the blast-beats continue. It is a mid-tempo song with the usual twists and turns in rhythm. Halfway through the track, the melodies become darker, atmospheric, and once again melancholic, intensified by the higher pitched growls. It is a good track to finish the album as it nicely sums up the album sound.

 The second album of ATRAE BILIS is a good one. “Aumicide“ is technical Death Metal, but it is not overly technically complex. The album is a triptych of brutality, atmosphere, and melancholy with a few progressive twists. All those elements contribute equally to the album, and the sound is kept together very well by the vocals. However, some of the songs sound a bit similar at times, in particular during the second half of the album. The album is well produced. “Aumicide“ is not a celebration of individual technical skills, the sound is also accessible for traditional Death Metal fans. However, the main audience are those who love technical Death Metal and are open to progressive elements.