Published: 2008.07.15
AKPHAEZYA - Anthology II
Note : 4/6
Ascendance Records (2008)

The older I become, the more tolerant my tastes in metal expand. Younger days succumb to whimsical folly where peer pressure overtakes your beginnings in band discovery and you often throw early albums to the wayside for something darker, evil or sinister compared to basic structures. Maturity changes the best in us, as you soon realize that Immoral can see comfortably next to Iron Butterfly and Iron Maiden on your album racks. What’s the set up have to do with Akphaezya you ask? This quartet test the limits of underground progressive metal, incorporating a multitude of international cultural influences along with a healthy dose of death, black and funk nuances to make "Anthology II" quite the volcanic eruption.

Singer Nehl Aelin conveys a signature range all her own. At times sweet and other moments shrieking, her style runs the gamut depending on the arrangement present to squeeze in her melodies. The gentle side comes out on the mostly quiet guitar infused "Stolen Tears" while the versatile animalistic roar and screams come out in the blasting "Chrysalis". The funk boogie influence comes through bassist Stephane Beguier, popping out his riffs with panache in "Reflections". Other songs make me think of the big band 1930’s careening headfirst into jazz with distortion carrying the metal flag. "Anthology II" is not an album that most people will get on the first ten exposures- but much like your favorite role playing video game you can’t help but want to play it more and more to understand the complexity and conquer the surroundings.

Releasing a five album series in asynchronous (out of sequence) order appears right along the Akphaezya wave length. Ascendance clearly wants the listeners to enjoy left-of-center madness with their releases, and I think they keep hitting solid swings in the face of an uncertain future with consumers.

Mysterious artwork side- this will be one talked about for years to come...



Indie Dist. (www.indiedist.no)
www.akphaezya.com
www.myspace.com/ascendancerecords


Composed by Matt Coe
Imotep.no