This band is easily one of the best French death metal albums, and is totally underrated.
This music is very unique, and I can swear that I have not heard any band that plays in this style. Although some of the other old school French death metal bands have a similar approach, the end product is largely different.
This does not sound overtly strange and weird like, for example, Gorguts or other "avant-garde" metal bands. However, there is an undeniable subtlety of exotic feeling that everyone can instantly recognize, even if they cannot tell the specifics of it. There is almost an oriental atmosphere, and a spacy atmosphere at the same time.
What mainly make this album unique are the riffs. The riffs are diverse; and not only are the riffs different from each other, but also many of the riffs contains the diversity in itself, such as having a thrashy section with power chords and then having a tremolo-picked section. Of important note are the riffs that contain many single notes, almost sounding like a lead. The intro of The Fortress is an excellent example of this kind of a "lead-riff." The riff in Hyaloid also has a very long section of playing such a "lead-like" melody, preceded by a tremolo section. There are slower riffs, too, and overall the riffs themselves and the structuring of different riffs are highly complicated.
The solos themselves are unique, too, without sounding too unconventional like Morbid Angel solos, though there is good usage of the tremolo arm. These solos retain some recognizable form of thrash solos, but are more beautiful (though not overtly "melodic") and smooth. The tone is also very fitting with a clear and yet somewhat laser-like sound (quite Morbid-Angel; and saying that something resembles Morbid Angel solos in any way is the best compliment I can give to any guitar solo).
The vocals are somewhat typical death-growls, but not very low. Not as amazing as the riffs are, but the vocals are definitely competent. There are actually robotic sounding vocals in The Fortress (much more robotic than Cynic¡¯s vocals). But these are not overused (in fact, these are only used for a very brief period of time), so there is nothing to worry about even if you hate robot vocals.
Future Past/Elder Things is worth a description for the song alone, because this stands out even in the midst of all the great gems in this album. This is possibly one of the greatest metal songs ever. It starts with an acoustic intro (which is absolutely exotic and great), and you get a great solo. The riffs are slower, and very epic. There is distant male-chanting (or at least that is how I hear it) thrown in, which enhances the epic atmosphere. The acoustic guitars recur throughout the song, interwoven with the distortion guitar riffs. The second solo is amazing as well, and this ends in an epic way with a guitar lead over acoustic guitar riffs. This is an epic death metal song so unique and beyond anybody¡¯s conception of death metal that it never has been nor ever will be reproduced.
The last song of the album is a cover of Mozart¡¯s Turkish March, and this is very well done.
Overall, this is a masterpiece of death metal that really sounds like nothing else without coming off as too weird. Sorry for the boring review, but I guarantee that you will find this album a million times better than this review.
Sample:
Agressor - Towards Beyond 1992
