Let me be honest here, when I received the list of albums available for review from He Who Must Be Obeyed (Pete) I was drawn to Atrae Bilis by the label who put this out rather than any description of the music. 20 Buck Spin have put out so much quality in the last few years from Hulder to Worm, Tomb Mold to Terminal Nation. Great stuff.
So how does Atrae Bilis stack up against those other recent faves?
Well the name translates to Black Bile – delicious, and possibly the only bile worth imbibing no?
These Canadians play technical which is a genre I have an on off relationship with. If I am in the right mood then the jazzy chord progressions and soaring solos massage my ears in the right way and I am tickled pink. Other times I am left cold but what I perceive as Guitar Hero wankery and lack of punch. I will be the first to admit (whilst running away) that I am not much of a fan of Cynic. Just don’t get it.
So with my stall laid out like a grumpy bric-a-brac concession at a Scout hut in 1983 it is time to enter the Technical Tombola of Atrae Bilis second full length “Aumicide”.
As is to be expected in this subgenre the production is clean and the playing of all instruments is intricate – not really black bile vibes – more very organised compartmentalised bodily fluids.
However, the vocals by Jordan Berglund resonate with putrid darkness so maybe my first impressions are incorrect.
Opener “Protoxenesis” is an instrumental intro filled with industrial tinged riffs and some techy breaks – reminds me of early Fear Factory in places before it breaks into the “Bleurgh” vocal intro to “Hell Simulation” which is pure tech death with a smidge of early melodic DM – hints of Crytopsy and Decapitated. I prefer the track when the blasts get going rather than the chop change of direction, but Atrae Bilis do this style really well and their chops are certainly clean and sharp even if I prefer a dull hammer blow.
“Salted in Stygia” opens with a dirty slamming riff before spiralling off into the techisphere. I love the vocal effects here – some distorted cleans and shimmer effects on the backing that give a CBT/otherworld effect. “Inward to Abraxas” has got quite a bit of groove in it – which is not something I normally associate with TDM. Sure the guitars are still intricate and chop and change like a kid playing Fruit Ninja but there is some underlying groove that I can get behind. This continues on throughout the album. “To Snuff the Spirit Guides” sounds like it could be a Nile title and I can see quite a bit of influence from the DM Mummies in this. The title track freaks me the fuck out at first. It’s piercing sparse guitar intro sounds like a rearrangement of Quo’s Pictures of Matchstick men! Luckily there was no need to don flares and flower garlands as this soon slips atop a darker riff which has quite a Doom/Death feel where it stays for this instrumental interlude giving way to “Kingdom of Cortisol” a spiteful little number which again chops and changes so much I forget what riff I was listening to. There is a feeling of musical collage with Atrae Bilis which appeals to many folk – I just find myself longing for more than 20 seconds of a heavy mosh part or thundering dirty riff. The band are great at what they do but the scattergun approach to songwriting leaves me feeling unsatiated and as I wait for something interesting to return, the attention deficit inflicted players have already jumped onto the next track “A Monolith Aflame” which revolves around a melancholic melody that is right up my street. It has more of a swagger than the other tracks on the album, which again is summat that appeals to me. I just wish it was longer than 4 minutes and change but that seems like an epic compared to the 2 and a half minutes of “Through The Hologram’s Cervix” which blisters past like Liz Truss from an election night press conference. Oddly child like meep moop guitar parts and more distorted underwater style vocal effects – it’s fun but again a little bitty.
Closer “Excruciate Incarnate” gets the balance right (As Depeche Mode once sang). It melds blistering pace with some technicality (which is still a bit lost on me) plus some nice arpeggios and industrial grooves. It is still a bit of a sonic coleslaw but there is a strong thread running through it.
Overall this album is a great showcase for the bands talents of which they have a multitude. I am just not the right guy to appreciate it to the fullest. Fans of techdeath should definitely give this a listen. I need to rethink my need for repetition. Nurse ….the screens!
(7/10 Matt Mason)
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