Aevum – Multiverse
Album Review By Rainer Kerber
Symphonic metal from Italy? Not unusual, some will say. In addition (according to Facebook) there are the attributes neoclassical and theatrical. This is also nothing unusual for music from Italy. I was able to experience Aevum live a few years ago. The musicians showed very clearly that they found their own niche in this genre. So not the typical Italian-style opera metal. You cannot find much information on the Internet. The band was founded in 2007. One year later the first EP “Celestial Angels” was released. The debut album “Impressions” was only released in 2014, followed by “Dischronia” (2017). Another three years later the production of the third album “Multiverse” is finished, which will be released at the end of March.
A few Morse code at the beginning, then the Italians get started. Symphonic metal without bombast intro. I immediately like it. Banging riffs, growls and screams from the singer Hydra, who also masters the baritone clear vocals very well. And singer Lucille can also score with beautiful mezzo-soprano passages. But she has a great vocal range. The opera soprano also sounds extremely good from its gold throat. “The Pilgrim” is an excellent start. “Spark Of Life” has catchy melodies mixed with progressive elements. The guitars and keyboards sometimes sound a bit hectic. Lucille sings her clear coloratura soprano. A music clip was produced for “Tair”. Here you can also see the musicians in action. In the second part you can hear plucked guitars that sound a bit like Latino rock. “Black Honeymoon” is a mixture of a beautiful power ballad and a mid-tempo rock song. Melody and vocals set a pleasant resting point here. For me, this song is the highlight on the album. Quick, but also catchy, that’s the short description of “The Time Machine”.
If the longest song on the album (“Cold Spot”) has only one season 5:12 min, then, you realize that Aevum take from sprawling epic bombast distance. They prefer to come straight to the point. “WWIII” sets an extremely interesting splash of color. First, the introduction, which is somewhat reminiscent of musical. Later the singer lets her voice vibrate hectically. With their partly technically alienated vocals and harsh growls, the catchy melodies are thwarted. A serious topic is implemented musically here. “Seeds” starts with a calm bass line before the song later changes to thrash metal area. But here too there are always nice melodies to be heard. “The Garden Of Mars” sounds relaxed and lively, almost like pop song. But the outstanding vocal performances ensure that it never gets cheesy. Lucille switches again between mezzo-soprano and the highest notes. At the end there is something very special. Parts from Vivaldi’s Cantate “Cessate ormai cessate” were obviously processed for this instrumental. Just as the album started, it ends – with Morse code.
Yes, Aevum play symphonic metal. The press text mentions Nightwish, Within Temptation and Epica as role models. But the Italians are not really comparable to any of these bands. The catchy and varied melodies never get boring. The male growls and screams match the outstanding voice of songstress Lucille, but also the clear vocals of singer Hydra. A modern, powerful production complete the album. “Multiverse” is a clear buy recommendation for every metal fan.
AEVUM – Tair: https://youtu.be/w1bPNJp9f3c
Lineup:
Lucille – Female Vocals
Hydra – Male Vocals, Screams, Growls
Paul – Bass
Emanuel – Guitar
Lord – Guitar
Ian : – Synthies, Keyboards, Samples
Richard – Synthies, Pianno, Harsh Vocals
Cozy – Drums
Label: DarkTunes
Out: March 27th, 2020
Playing time: 54:59
Track list:
- The Pilgrim
- Spark Of Life
- Tair
- Black Honeymoon
- The Time Machine
- Cold Spot
- Ulas
- Hopeless
- Fratricide
- WWIII
- Seeds
- The Garden Of Mars
- Cessate ormai cessate
Rating : 8/10
MHF Magazine/Rainer Kerber
