Abeona Adeona

This French couple of ditties has both a limp wrist and huge balls. "Abeon Abeona" is simply njoyable for the twists and turns from song to song. This is artfully done, expressive and dramatic music.

The first 2 songs of this LP are enough to make most death metal fans pass by this band. The death growls have yet to appear and the music is what I could only venture to label as dramatic metal. I don't know what the hell the vocalist is saying, even with the clean performances. After an interlude the Death/Doom side of the band appears, the vocalist now doing an accomplished Obituary impression. For me this is when the album starts to become memorable with it's highs and lows coming at just the right times. They can riff, and the speedier bits are pretty damn good BUT too few and far between.

I think a comparison to Opeth is tawdry and does not do this band justice. Astral Rising is much more of a death metal band in disguise, with a penchant for riffing and composition. They are far from amazing, of course... I only think the band really pulls their ideas off 70% of the time. But it is an entertaining "progressive" death metal album. Dismal in mood, but also kind of hopeful and upbeat at times.

Give it a try, it's fairly epic and entertaining. Almost like an early Tiamat (Swe) album.