Artist: Alchemist
Label: Relapse Records
Release Date: 6/17/03
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Title: Austral Alien Artist: Alchemist Label: Relapse Records Release Date: 6/17/03 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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Go to Reader Reviews | ||
Abyss's Review:
Alchemist isn't a band that you just turn on and like right away. The closest comparison you can really make is Voivod, but these Australians have a sound all their own. Like Voivod, these guys' biggest strength is their ability to craft interesting, intricate music into something not only worthwhile, but listenable as well.
"The song structures are ever changing, morphing between styles, moods and textures, but the album has an underlying ballast that routes it into a definite purpose." I would be lying if I said this band was for everyone, but those of you who enjoy life on the more experimental side should definitely check this band out. The song structures are ever changing, morphing between styles, moods and textures, but the album has an underlying ballast that routes it into a definite purpose. What I mean by this is no matter how far off the beaten path the music takes you, you never have to fear because you know it will bring you back and won't leave you out floating in the middle of nowhere. While it may be unique and 'out there' it also has hook and a sense of familiarity.
If there is a bad part to the record, it's that it does take some concentration to get into. This isn't carefree, throw it on and forget it type of stuff. For you to really enjoy it, you'll have to invest some time, but if you're willing to do that, the rewards will be much more than the average record can deliver. And while the band isn't the heaviest in the world, there is a definite vein of anger running through the music. When the vocals get heavy as well as the music, it becomes a visceral experience that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.
"When the vocals get heavy as well as the music, it becomes a visceral experience that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end." This band is ahead of its time, something else in common with Voivod, and I bristle with anticipation to see where they go from here. Probably the most satisfying experimental metal out there, Alchemist are underrated and underexposed. As I said before, not for everyone, but ultimately worthwhile. One word review: Cool.
Death's Review:
"The music and songwriting is confident, the overall vibe is 'avant garde' while still decidedly kicking your ass." Alchemist remind me at once of Opeth, Amorphis, Neurosis, Katatonia and Voivod. Well-produced, clean sounding but laden with aggressive musicianship, Alchemist are purveyors of art, not of noise, although the fact that they surely and fundamentally understand the art in noise also is revealed in their music. Beautifully-packaged, with an individual drawing accompanying each tune in the muti-paged booklet, Austral Alien features trippy music and imagery, in service of pummeling drum beats reminiscent of both Neurosis and High on Fire, under space-metal riffs like Voivod.
"This is where Alchemist shine - something awesome to zone out to." The music and songwriting is confident, the overall vibe is "avant garde" while still decidedly kicking your ass. The vocals are just gruff and lack a bit of the personality that otherwise have pushed this band over the top with me, but they are cool in their own right, fitting to the music once you grow used to them. They are just standard vocals over extraordinary music, emphasizing their lack of distinctiveness. Still, tracks like "Alpha Capella Nova Vega" open with one of the best space rock/metal riffs I've heard since the last couple of Amorphis albums. That sticks in my head like Pink Floyd or Radiohead. This is where Alchemist shine. Something awesome to zone out to. Otherwise, they sound like a band still trying to develop their stride while showing almost unlimited musical potential down the line.
Hel's Review:
As a general rule, I love aliens as lyrical topic in metal. Alchemist takes this topic and delivers it with a musical flourish that manages to combine the best elements of doom with classic Amorphis-style guitar melodies.
"Experimental music of this type should be, by nature, hard to categorize."
"Austral Alien is the kind of album best listened to in a darkened room with nothing but candlelight and wafting smoke to distract you." Sure, my analogy has some flaws; experimental music of this type should be, by nature, hard to categorize. Its very nature is outside of normal experience, and this is exactly the reason it is interesting. That, and, in this case, it is well produced, amazingly performed, and strongly written. A concept encapsulates the entire experience, the unraveling of which is an integral part of the journey.
More than anything, Austral Alien is the kind of album best listened to in a darkened room with nothing but candlelight and wafting smoke to distract you. Only then can you truly feel the impact of what Alchemist has concocted. But, regardless of your surroundings, this album is absorbing and interesting.
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