BAND: AENAON (GREECE)
GENRE: AVANT GARDE, EXPERIMENTAL, PROGRESSIVE, BLACK METAL
LABEL: AGONIA RECORDS
RELEASE DATE:10/7/2022
TITLE "MNEMOSYNE"
"CENDRES ET SANG", 6/14/2011 via CODE666 RECORDS.
"A PARALLEL ZOETROPE", (SPLIT WITH SATANOCHIO), 7/19/2010 via FLOGA RECORDS.
"PHENOMENON" (EP), 9/22/2009 via BLEAK ART RECORDS.
BEST RELEASE(S): "MNEMOSYNE" (2022), "HYPNOSOPHY" (2016), "EXTANCE" (2014)
AENAON "MNEMOSYNE": TRACK-LISTING:
1. "PSYCHE"
2. "CARTESIAN EYE"
3. "SYNASTRY OF HEARTBEATS"
4. "PLEIADES"
5. "TRAUMA CULTURA"
6. "CLARK NOVA"
7. "HYSTERIA"
8. "MANTLEDEATH"
9. "DOPPELGANGER"
ITP RATING **** (four out of 5 stars)
PRODUCTION:****
SONGWRITING:***1/2
PERFORMANCE: ****1/2
Greek experimental black metal warriors AENAON are a genre bending entity opening minds to the bands insightful brand of black metal.
Get ready for an earful as ITP V.022 has AENAON'S new release "MNEMOSYNE" on tap to review.
AENAON'S "MNEMOSYNE" opens with "PSYCHE", a technical blackened metal track with clean and shouted vocals and atmospheric tendencies. Symphonic, and operatic elements adorn "PSYCHE" with melodic guitar parts.
Mid song, "PSYCHE" breaks for a mournful and dare I say it, sexy saxophone solo before a segue into a bombastic, clean chorus.
AENAON'S "CARTESIAN EYE" enters as more traditional black metal with definitive riffing and yes, a another saxophone solo. Progressive elements can be heard in "CARTESIAN EYE" including synths.
AENAON'S longest track "SYNASTRY OF HEARTBEATS" enters with somber saxophone segueing into definitive mid paced riffing. "SYNASTRY OF HEARTBEATS" toys with hard rock as the track is both accessible and progressive at the same time as at one point, the band meld blast beats with a saxophone solo and clean vocals.
AENAON'S "PLEIADES" is a dark, instrumental ballad melded with jazz saxophone.
AENAON'S ."TRAUMA CULTURA" features catchy riffing and both blackened and clean vocals for an insightful hell ride..Nice piano ending.
AENAON'S. "CLARK NOVA" enters as an industrial, instrumental styled track with old school jazz, saxophone and other horns.
AENAON'S. "HYSTERIA" is pure progressive black roll.with pronounced riffing an over laying synths. A track to pound your chest too.
AENAON'S. "MANTLEDEATH" invokes an ominous saxophone where the lead guitar would normally be featured. "MANTLEDEATH" rocks on as a filthy black and roll track with traces of mid paced thrash. Beautiful clean vocals and piano,synth adorn "MANTLEDEATH" as the track features melodic guitar segued into into a heavier dynamic with blackened vocals and blast beats. . . . . .
AENAON'S. "MNEMOSYNE" closes with "DOPPELGANGER", a sparse, industrial, jazz instrumental.
AENAON'S. "MNEMOSYNE" is a genre bending work of art, so much so that AENAON could be a genre within itslef.
With both blackened rasps and beautiful (ala OPETH) clean vocals,AENAON meld progressive tendencies with black and roll, industrial and (that wondrous saxophone) jazz.
"MANTLEDEATH", "HYSTERIA" and "PSYCHE" ar "MNEMOSYNE'S" most cohesive and definitive tracks as jazz instrumentals give the listener a breathier from getting their minds blown.
AENAON are definitely doing something different and progressive. I think AENAON are just getting started. I would love to hear more from this unique band and what they have in store in the future.
Black metal can be a stale genre where bands and artists want to gate keep and "keep it true". . AENAON piss all over that philosophy with a cauldron of influences for a mind blowing musical experience.
Mind Blown.
ITP RATING **** (four out of 5 stars)
PRODUCTION:****
SONGWRITING:***1/2
PERFORMANCE: ****1/2.
AENAON "MNEMOSYNE": :
https://spak-individualthoughtpatterns.blogspot.com/2022/10/aenaon-post-new-release-mnemosyne.html
ITP V.022 REVIEW: AENAON "MNEMOSYNE" by Individual Thought Patterns V.022 (Theresa Geteles) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l- . . . . . . .