Label : Pervade Productions/Thundering Records
Review by Tony Cannella
France’s Auspex is not a conventional band. On their second album “Heliopause”, this Progressive Metal band offers a unique sound that takes the listener on a musical tour de force featuring many unexpected moments along the way. I was drawn in from the very beginning of the opening tune, “Electric Sheep”; this track segues into the fast paced, frenzied energy of “Silence”. This is one of the strongest tracks that “Heliopause” has to offer, it is a pretty good indicator of what makes Auspex such a potent musical force.It’s all here, strong musicianship, tempo changes, some cool orchestration and Elodie’s soaring vocal delivery. “I Walked Awoken on Titan” is next and has a majestic vibe to it. This is one of the unique tracks offered up here with Elodie alternating between spoken word and singing the lyrics. Once again, there are many tempo changes – and an interesting, almost jazzy breakdown at the very end. The 8-minute “In Through the Looking Glass” also became a huge favorite, with its big orchestral feel. The galloping “The Pulse of Emptiness” is another strong track. Other highlights include: “Setsunaki Tabi” (this song is sung in Japanese) and the 11-minute epic “Resolutio” which brings this excellent release to a close. Talk about an endurance test. One has to admire the sheer skill and courage it takes to do something this adventurous in a metal framework. Personally, I loved this band! I’m guessing that the songs and music on “Heliopause” won’t be for everyone, given its daring style, but for those who want to take the plunge into a band whose style can’t be defined, than Auspex is truly a band worth investigating.
Rating – 88/100
Tracklist
- Electric Sheep
- Silence
- I Walked Awoken on Titan
- In Through the Looking Glass
- The Pulse of Emptiness
- Setsunaki Tabi
- 0-1-0-1 (And So On…)
- Ad Astra per Aspera
- Resolutio
Line Up
- Elodie Buchonnet – Vocals
- Arthur Raulin – Guitar
- Lionel Patroix – Guitar
- Pierre-Yves Brun – Keyboards
- Alexis Poitié – Bass
- Frédéric Hugenell – Drums
Links
MySpace * ReverbNation * BandCamp * Facebook * Twitter * Site