There hasn’t been a straight shredder quite like Aversed to come out of Massachusetts since Killswitch Engage and Shadows Fall some 20+ years ago. And to think, we have a local Post-Rawk outfit who sound nothing at all like Aversed to thank for the band even being on our radar (And we’re not sure if all the deets of that soon-to-be released record are even out yet hence the vagueness of it all).
Anyway! Erasure Of Color is almost here and it’s this rare MA Metal record that really manages to encapsulate and tap into many a sub-genre ranging from Black Metal (The blast beats from drummer Jeff Saltzman on “Cross To Bear” are divine!), the New Wave Of American Heavy Metal movement that Lamb Of God and KSE initially flew the freak flag for, and even some Post-Metal goodness in the vein of Isis or Old Man Gloom (More on that later) making Aversed’s latest essential listening for any Metal fan.
“To Cover Up The Sky” is a mix of modern Trivium fury (The diversity of Shogun mixed with the modern Metallica-ness of Ascendancy) as Sungwoo Jeong and Alden Marchand trade riffs before Aversed’s secret weapon in vocalist Sarah Hartman is introduced who accents the heavy bangers with these initial wails and growls until they seamlessly transform instantly into a melodious croon. To circle back on our Old Man Gloom comparison, though, “Cross To Bear” definitely gives off some feels of the legendary Boston supergroup especially with the way Marchand and Jeong craft their shredding with Saltzman and bassist Martin Epstein conjuring a thunderous rhythm section rumble.
“Lucid Decapitation” sounds about as dense and intense as one would imagine a song with a moniker such as this would sound but instead of going for a fast ferocity (Don’t get us wrong, Jeong and Marchand SLAY here on the speedy bits), Aversed goes for a slightly subdued steeliness touching on Prog with the way that Saltzman’s intricate drumming and Epstein’s bass intertwine. Next up is “Inexorable” which is menacing at its’ onset and does little to dissuade that mood once it really gets going with an all encompassing ominous vibe before a monstrous Metal wave led by Hartman brings the bravado with shining harmonious bits.
“Burn” is just nasty sounding and is the blueprint for what modern Metal should sound like, “Solitary” kinda gives off a Tool-like essence musically but when this gets going one best be in full headbanging mode for the aural onslaught it brings, and the title track is just another in a long line of songs on here that solidify the reasons why Aversed deserves a seat at the big kids table with this one going off the rails a bit for what we can only describe as a macabre Prog Cabaret at times. “Yearning” is an acoustic-based interlude and offers a slight reprieve before the aptly titled “Departures” crushes with one final helping of Metal before bowing out amongst a grand piano run that’s just as epic as the music that led up to this fitting conclusion.
Erasure of Color arrives through M-Theory Audio on March 21st and you can prepare by pre-savin’ and pre-orderin’ at the links provided here or by clicking the stream below. For more from Aversed, hop on the information superhighway then click here, here or here.