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Released on September 1, 2014 via Independent
Enigma, Aeon Zen‘s previous album, was both one of last year’s best releases and a watershed moment for the band. In contrast to the prog rock influenced albums that preceded it, Enigma revitalised the band with a healthy dose of Meshuggah and a light hearted story that ended with the universe imploding. Rather than the act of consolidation that would be expected after such a shift, Ephemera pushes the band headlong into even lower tunings and a post-apocalyptic concept.
There are still heavy and sometimes slightly too obvious influences from Dream Theater and Devin Townsend, but Ephemera digs further into the djenty, modern side of progressive metal. Aeon Zen make plenty of space for experimentation – ‘Rebuild The Ruins’ includes a more symphonic iteration of their sound and ‘Life?’ crams jazzy breaks, bass solos and many other bits of general weirdness between its monumental choruses. No matter how far they push to include electronic flourishes and some very un-metal influences, the result is always coherent and always effective. Even relatively straight forward songs like ‘The Entity’ and ‘Unite’ strike confidently with the support of digitally precise production work.
The same attention has been paid to the album’s narrative, in which the hero of Enigma has become a Fear Factory inspired machine-god. Jumping between narrative perspectives has resulted in an efficiently told story that contributes to Ephemera‘s excellent pacing. With each song seamlessly fading into the next and the whole album coming in at just over forty minutes, every possible molecule of fat has been trimmed.
Andi Kravljaca is easily one of my favourite vocalists at this point. His voice has a beautiful tone, but he can wield it with the kind of force that very few others can match. Rich Hinks’ subtle backing vocals contrast perfectly with this attention grabbing delivery and his harshes, a weakness in earlier work, are now as commanding and threatening as his role demands. The indoctrinating roar of ‘Soul Machine’ is genuinely terrifying and almost as sonically violent as the blast beat that follows. Both vocalists have come a long way since A Mind’s Portrait and together they offer an extremely versatile approach.
Distinctive, inventive and masterfully performed; this is a sci-fi sequel on the level of Aliens. By expanding beyond the scope of Enigma, Ephemera showcases the overflow of talent within Aeon Zen – who have developed from being a band full of potential to one of tech metal’s finest acts. If you think that six strings belong on a bass guitar, you need this album.
