REQUIEM AETERNAM
Reviewed by Christopher J. Kelter
Requiem Aeternam, originally hailing from Uruguay but now based in the United States, have just released their sophomore effort entitled "Philosopher." If one can coin the term progressive death metal then Requiem Aeternam would be a fine example of the genre. Actually, some folks have used that term when speaking of Opeth and a few other select bands. Requiem Aeternam mix extreme brutal death metal along with prog-metal, traditional metal, folk, and a few other genres I'm forgetting at the moment. A listener might get the distinct feeling that they are listening to Opeth-copycats while listening to "Philosopher," but that would be doing Requiem Aeternam a disservice.
The eight tracks on "Philosopher" cover slightly more than 46 minutes and the album must be listened to in a dedicated singular experience to enjoy it all as there is a lot to absorb. Overall, the album has an epic feel; the album is linked together thematically as each track is centered around a different, but well known, philosopher. Some of the tracks have an epic feel as well despite the fact that the majority of the tracks are under six minutes in length. The progressive nature of the disc is more ‘forward thinking' rather than overly technical in nature. The song is king with Requiem Aeternam and that's always a good idiom to follow.
The bottom line is that the more time you spend with Requiem Aeternam's "Philosopher" the more rewarded you are.
"Philosopher" is a very impressive effort and I'm very much looking forward to hearing what the band will offer next time around.
"Philosopher" was recorded and mixed by Joe Pedulla and Arun Venkatesh and mastered by Tom Hutten.
Requiem Aeternam: Jose Romero on vocals and guitar, Maciej Kupiszewski on bass, and Alex Hernandez (ex-Immolation) on drums.
For more information, check out http://www.requiem-aeternam.com.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2005 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised: 02 Dec 2024 13:02:55 -0500.
