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Agrypnie - Aetas Cineris review



Reviewer:
7.9

63 users:
7.79
Band: Agrypnie
Album: Aetas Cineris
Release date: March 2013


01. Trümmer / Aetas Cineris
02. Dezember
03. Gnōsis
04. Zurück
05. Kosmos (Alpha)
06. Erwachen
07. Sinnflut
08. Asche

Post black metal can be quite a tough thing for newbies. Depending on your usual taste in music and your not-so-life-long experience it may either resemble Dimmu Borgir or Burzum. Apparently I'm not talking about the French but rather the German scene here, for in France they indeed developed a more independent style. Agrypnie then again is one of the shining acts in Germany and - surprise - the reason I'm writing this. For a new album called Aetas Cineris (translates to Era Of Ashes) is out and worth losing some words about.

The album blends a typical style-based atmosphere and quite unusual brutal sounds. And if I may start with a weak point here, the latter one is the dominating part. It's not that metal isn't supposed to be brutal but the production and the technical aspect of the album often interferes with the black metal structures and ends in an atmosphere one can also experience in death doom releases. Nevertheless, every music is mood music, and when you are in the right mood for this one, there won't be anything fitting better. Take the track "Sinnflut" as an example: If you feel like standing on a huge cliff during a storm, weary and hurt but still strong in will, this song makes perfect sense in both music and lyrics.

Aetas Cineris runs for seventy-seven minutes, which required an extra lengthy CD, anyone who knows a longer album on a single disc be welcome to tell me. The durations of the eight songs don't vary much, all running from eight to eleven and a half minutes. Sure, this is too long for some people, but if you are into it you can sit still and enjoy the album over the whole playing time. The opener "Trümmer / Aetas Cineris" is a really great start into this world and awesome when played live, too. Together with "Gnosis", it marks the heavy side of this record, while on the opposite "Kosmos (Alpha)" and "Asche" stand for atmospheric work only. The other four songs also lean more towards the heavy style. What Agrypnie do better than most other bands is thrilling. Der Unhold as vocalist ensures this with his quite unique singing and a bunch of modern poetic lyrics that reach the listener's mind and subconscious. His band mates as well play their music as good as one could expect, especially the bass works deserve credit, plus its sound might be the most fitting to black metal of all the instruments.

One can say Agrypnie are sitting on the fence here. Post black metal with rare black elements and atmosphere but nevertheless very good music. I know this style contains urban elements but bands should be careful not to go too far away from their roots. I couldn't pick my overall favourite song here for they are all good but when it comes to songwriting terms my choice is "Asche", showing the best melodies and riffs and - yes I say it again - atmosphere.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 9
Songwriting: 8
Originality: 8
Production: 8

Written by Windrider | 06.07.2013




Comments

Comments: 11   Visited by: 220 users
07.07.2013 - 01:04
Rating: 8
Cronomaster

I think Darkspace III is longer album than this one.
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07.07.2013 - 06:37
The Turbanator

Ohhh I didn't know this was out. sounds good!
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In the name of forests; In the name of stars; In the name of all the seas; In the name of storms... Proud sons of ancient nation; Proud sons of sacred song in the wind; Proud sons behind a mirror of ice who told... Fathers of the icy age!!
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07.07.2013 - 10:37
Merchant of Doom

Very good stuff... highly recommended.
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07.07.2013 - 17:57
Blakheim

Impressive album...but on this realm, Shade Empire is still at the top
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07.07.2013 - 18:05
Rating: 7
tea[m]ster
Au Pays Natal
Post black stuff seems to be the fad of the moment; Mine as well. This is a good example of the genre. Thanks for the review.
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rekt
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08.07.2013 - 06:01
Saiyanity

As far as longer albums on a single disk the album Griseus by the band Aquilus (Atmo-Black) runs for 79 minutes and 55 seconds; supposedly the absolute maximum that can fit on a single disk.
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08.07.2013 - 06:53
blackmamba

I loved this album. Agrypnie's a great band. This album is an 8.5 at the least.
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08.07.2013 - 06:55
blackmamba

Written by Blakheim on 07.07.2013 at 17:57

Impressive album...but on this realm, Shade Empire is still at the top


Oh yeah Shade Empire created a masterpiece.
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08.07.2013 - 08:45
Boxcar Willy
yr a kook
Written by Saiyanity on 08.07.2013 at 06:01

As far as longer albums on a single disk the album Griseus by the band Aquilus (Atmo-Black) runs for 79 minutes and 55 seconds; supposedly the absolute maximum that can fit on a single disk.

Well actually you can fit 80 minutes.

I would have had 5 seconds of silence or something just to fill it in haha.
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14:22 - Marcel Hubregtse
I do your mum

DESTROY DRUM TRIGGERS
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08.07.2013 - 08:48
Saiyanity

Written by Boxcar Willy on 08.07.2013 at 08:45

Written by Saiyanity on 08.07.2013 at 06:01

As far as longer albums on a single disk the album Griseus by the band Aquilus (Atmo-Black) runs for 79 minutes and 55 seconds; supposedly the absolute maximum that can fit on a single disk.

Well actually you can fit 80 minutes.

I would have had 5 seconds of silence or something just to fill it in haha.


Same here, it would bug the fuck out of me knowing that it was that close.
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11.07.2013 - 10:43
M C Vice
ex-polydactyl
"...anyone who knows a longer album on a single disc be welcome to tell me."
Load (Metallica) and Sagas (Equilibrium), for starters.
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"Another day, another Doug."
"I'll fight you on one condition. That you lower your nipples."
" 'Tis a lie! Thy backside is whole and ungobbled, thou ungrateful whelp!"
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