By: Daniela Patrizi
Aikiria | website | facebook | twitter | bandcamp | soundcloud |
Released on August 22, 2014 via AudioZero Records
Powerful and captivating. I’m still listening to this record while i’m writing and there’s no doubt that these are the best adjectives to describe the debut album of Aikira, another band that makes songs without words and its debut album is a wonderful ride on waves of emotions. Aikira is a four-piece outfit from Tortoreto, Italy, whose sound has dreamlike moments but most of the times it creates a musical tempest in a teapot. Dark guitars and heavy drumming play the main role in the self-title full-length album that will appeal post-metal, post-rock and generally instrumental rock lovers.
Aikira is a playlist of 8 tracks that will blow your mind with its 50 minutes of densely played instrumental rock and it will immerse you in an atmosphere where relaxation, excitement and dreams alternate themselves leaving you completely trapped into its sound. All the tracks of the album have that typical post rocky loud-quite-loud structure, that’s not a bad thing when it’s done right. This is the case of Aikira where the rhythm is never tedious nor repetitive.
Aikira starts with ‘Challenger’ and you immediately realize that the Italian band waste no time in setting the album mood. ‘Challenger’ starts quietly enough before announcing its intentions with some explosive riffs and power chords followed by a hypnotic vertigo of sound that is seriously good. The work between the guitars and the use of delays are brilliant throughout the whole album and especially in ‘Meth’ that might be my favorite track from the record. ‘Meth’ is a stand-out song that shows the ability of the band to evoke that sense of power and exuberance mixed with the feelings of misery, sadness, or anger that are typical of post-rock/post-metal music.
Rich modulated guitars transcending into spiraling riffs are the protagonist of ‘Magma’ that acts as a volcano with its continuous eruption of distorted guitar tones and devastating drums that give the song an apocalyptic dimension.
The complex exchanges and guitar interplay, rooted by a tight yet fluid rhythm section is also a characteristic of the following tracks: the hypnotic ‘Elemental 01’ and ‘Monolith’ are clear example of the artistry of the Italian band in the execution. ‘Monolith’, in particular, is a sonic experience where the rhythm is so tense that traps the listener in a space that gradually becomes smaller and smaller till when there’s no more space left and the only option is to capitulate in front of the impressive strength of the all of sounds the band perfectly create.
This album is for music lovers and for those that have to ability to go beyond the classic rules.
Highly recommended.
