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Chaos Echœs - Remains review



Reviewer:
N/A

14 users:
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Band: Chaos Echœs
Album: Remains
Release date: November 2019


Disc I [Ecstasy With The Nonexistents]
01. Senses Of The Nonexistent
02. Through Kaleidoscopic Haze Of Unexpected Extents
03. 享楽主義
04. Black Mantra
05. Interzone VIII
06. Surrounded And Amazed By These Unplumbed Abysses Of The Inverted Sea
07. Soul Ruiner
08. Shine On Obsidian! Ego! Ego! Echo Back To The Yearning Of The Self!

Disc II [IIIII]
01. 享楽主義
02. I
03. Pasto Nudo (Interzona)
04. II
05. Advent Of My Genesis
06. III
07. Perspectives
08. IIII
09. Kaetamine
10. IIIII
11. Soul Ruiner

France's mesmerizing Chaos Echœs are now dead and gone, a bygone memory of the past decade. But with Remains, their legacy is solidified with a final swansong.

Let there be no doubt about this: Chaos Echœs were one of the most technically accomplished, forward thinking, and all around interesting bands of the 2010s, period. Remains is a stern reminder of why that is, a massive 2 disc epilogue to the band's career that showcases all of what made them such a dynamic, unique group of musicians. Is it new material? Yes and no. The first disc is a live set from 2018, and while that might not make fans of the band too excited, it is intriguing for the simple fact that Chaos Echœs were often known to greatly deviate from the sound of their recordings on album when performing them live, improvising and re imagining them as they saw fit. As such a lot of the tracks on the first disc are either longer or shorter than their studio album counterparts, making them sound refreshingly new and inventive in their own way. While this set leans mostly toward the kaleidoscopic, Avant-garde death metal persona of Chaos Echœs and is overall very abrasive and hard hitting, it does show off their exceptional talents in the droney, dark ambient department as well, as with "Interzone VIII" and that 6th track with the super long title.

The second disc consists of a series of studio outtakes, live recordings, and alternate versions from 2012 to 2016 and thus probably contains more never-before-heard material than the first. Despite being a compilation, these tracks are carefully arranged to create an overarching sense of flow, and proceed almost as though they had been laid out on a regular full length album. In comparison to the first disc, the tracks here embrace more of the formless, atmospheric manifestation of Chaos Echœs, and are a lot more eerie, hypnotic, and trance inducing. "Kaetamine", which I'm pretty sure is a track not included on any previous release, is particularly satisfying, with its hazy cloak of atmosphere and the rough, pounding, and intricate drum patterns lurking in the background.

Though most of the tracks on Remains aren't really new material, they are presented in a manner that brings a completely new experience to the listener. A fantastic blend of both the pounding, swirling death metal side of Chaos Echœs as well as their shapeless, ritualistic persona, the compilation is nothing less than an exquisite demonstration of what made this band so special and why their incredible, 8 year run ought to be celebrated. As we head into a new decade with the body of Chaos Echœs now buried, while Remains offers a powerful sum up of what they were capable of, it also raises two important questions. What bands might emerge who are inspired by the legacy of Chaos Echœs in the 2020s, and what new projects might the band's individual members start from here? I don't know about you all, but I'll definitely be keeping my ears perked up for both.

"The king is dead, long live the king!"






Written on 09.01.2020 by Metal Storm’s own Babalao. Comforting the disturbed and disturbing the comfortable since 2013.


Comments

Comments: 5   Visited by: 74 users
09.01.2020 - 01:44
VIG
Account deleted
Great review man. I'm sure the gods Chaos Echoes are would appreciate it as a good send-off. They will be severely missed by me.

P.S. The second half is definitely more interesting as it's stuff previously unreleased.
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09.01.2020 - 02:01
Auntie Sahar
Drone Empress
Written by Guest on 09.01.2020 at 01:44

Great review man. I'm sure the gods Chaos Echoes are would appreciate it as a good send-off. They will be severely missed by me.

Like I said at the end, at this point we really need to pay attention to what the members do from here. Here's hoping it'll be some equally atypical and deconstructive work
----
I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go.

~ II. VII
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09.01.2020 - 02:08
VIG
Account deleted
Written by Auntie Sahar on 09.01.2020 at 02:01

Like I said at the end, at this point we really need to pay attention to what the members do from here. Here's hoping it'll be some equally atypical and deconstructive work


Hmm.. I wonder what they will do now, it'd be interesting if some of them or one of them started a project that was weird but sort of a completely different style than Chaos Echoes
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09.01.2020 - 07:51
RaduP
CertifiedHipster
I will definitely miss them, but man do they have a spotless discog now
----
Do you think if the heart keeps on shrinking
One day there will be no heart at all?
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13.02.2020 - 10:47
Gesualdo

Really great and interesting band. They will be missed...

Thanks for the review. Let´s see what 2020´s holds for experimental music.
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