Since when does this stuff come from Denmark? Isn't music like this patented to some old Norwegian mastermind metal-pa sitting in his rocking chair humming along to some obscure Darkthrone song, recalling the good ol' days when metal was black, churches were burnt and Varg Vikernes stabbed Euronymous in the face? If that's the case, then The Arcane Order are in for a lawsuit. Remember two years ago when they debuted with a confused album that sounded like every other band but the band itself? Well, seems like my criticisms were taken to heart and my predictions came true, because with "In The Wake Of Collisions", The Arcane Order puts out songs so epic, so atmospheric, of such high quality, of such ingenius song-writing, that they'll send shivers down your spine.
I really cannot stress enough the disbelief with which I admire the transformation this band has undergone in just two years, from an insecure, self-seeking adolescent to a mature, multifaceted giant. Whether it's the epic theatrics of "Death Is Imminent" or the sheer bay-area devastation of "The Reaping Revengence", everything about this album screams progression. And I mean literally screams. Jacob Hansen has produced the record to such monstrous proportions it's almost insulting to experience it through anything short of a high-end surround sound system. This coupled with Kasper Thomsen's new found reservoir of vocal mayhem ensures the album is one ferocious, diabolical son of a bitch; an album, which will haunt you with its ethereal symphonies and soaring guitar wizardry, lingering over a dense bass section.
Oh, and did I mention the atmosphere? Listening to "In The Wake Of Collisions" feels like listening to the world ending in violent spasms of sheer destruction only to put on a spectacular show of galaxies collapsing on themselves in brilliant explosions of light. It's this carefully maintained interplay between the beautiful and the ugly that lift this album to such grandeur proportions. Yet awarding "In The Wake Of Collisions" with a full ten would be to assume it leaves nothing to be desired, nothing to be replenished, and indeed nothing more to strive for. Though it's by no means generic, it isn't the pinnacle of originality either, which shines through as obvious influences from certain bands. But then again, isn't music supposed to build on itself? Take some and add some? That's progression, and there's still room for that here. In any case, buying "In The Wake Of Collisions" should be an obligation rather than a choice for anyone with even the faintest taste for metal.
[9]
Download: Death Is Imminent, The Reaping Revengence, The Serpent Tower
For the fans of: At The Gates, Dimmu Borgir, Soilwork
Listen: Myspace
Buy: iTunes
Release date 14.01.2008
Metal Blade
Provided by Target ApS› Related items.
