My latest review for Metal Temple....melodic black metal that strikes a fine balance between melody and aggression
http://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/reviews/cd_3/a_2/ad-finem-omnia-no.htm?keep_session=371344662
AD FINEM OMNIA is a black metal band from Chile that formed in 2020. After releasing a demo that same year, they are now dropping their full length album "No Peace · No Dawn," onto the blackened scene. The band has crafted a well made debut album. The production is a high note—the music sounds clear but none of it sounds thin or wimpy. Better than average toilet out house production is anathema to some in the black metal scene but not me. I actually find the album's sound to be of the utmost importance to the songwriting. Why do I think this? Because the album's music walks the line between searing and melodic. This particular way of thinking needs to sound good so every little detail can stand out.
One of those details is the bass—-Ricardo Araya is absolutely fantastic. Whether he is playing a deep melody or a fast paced ripping riff, the bass shines through and through. Pablo Vera keeps the other half of the rhythm going but his most important job is providing a full, robust performance that offsets the production values by providing a menacing edge. The album opens with the pure brimstone fury of "Vultures." It is a burner but much of the riffs are melodic and even sorrowful in nature. The middle section of the song really stands out with the way the bass weaves its magic in and out from the wall of sound riffs. The up-tempo beat of the drums crash against the more languished nature of the distortion, both feeding off each other in intense waves of melodramatic blackened atmosphere.
"SOLVE: ROUTE TO EXTINCTION," is loaded with catchy movies and very guitar driven song that is smooth and focused. The bass guitar also provides melodies on the low end, adding its own rich, deep undercurrent to the proceedings. Ricardo's gravel searing vocals have a slight echo on them, adding just the right amount of haunting intensity. The band is just as effective when they go for a more straight forward approach, such as on "Doomed To Death," which is a nasty as hell attack. What it looses in melodic hooks it makes up for in deadly, groove laden riffs. The album holds up as the seconds tick by and the track list gets deeper. "Of Agony and Emptiness" is about as hopeless as the song tittle would suggest. The guitars and bass retain their melodic tendencies but are more dismal and sorrowful.
The last track "The Solipsist" ends it all with a track that ignites immediately ripples outward with the explosive effort that is a constant rise. Both the rhythm and lead guitar are a potent combination, magical dance of story telling and master class song writing. "No Peace-No Dawn," is a stunning debut album and one of my favorite black metal albums of the year so far. Due to its nature of being melodic and abrasive, this album is going to appeal to a lot of different people.
Songwriting: 8
Musicianship: 8
Memorability: 8
Production: 8
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