Just like Earache and Peaceville in the 1980s, Arising Empire has quickly become the go-to label for all things heavy. Not content to play it safe, they’ve released some interesting albums of late, FREAKS, the debut album from Germany’s AVRALIZE being a prime example. Taking metalcore into new territory, AVRALIZE are not content to rely on past tropes, rather they are beating their own path, and it’s one the multitudes are sure to follow.
Having shared stages with the likes of GHØSTKID, Paleface and Of Virtue, this quartet are no strangers to the spotlight, and they immediately step into its glare with opening track ‘LOTUS’. At once heavy and lithe, ‘LOTUS’ is fleet of foot and proves itself a versatile beast that shape-shifts from danceable beats to crushing riffs, and all in the blink of an eye. It’s testament to the band’s power that they make this sonic shift seamlessly, and without interrupting the song’s flow. The effect on the listener can be quite disorientating (but in the best way possible, of course), as the band rotate us like a spinning top. It’s a modus operandi that gives the band a lot of freedom and they put it to good use, mixing up rhythms, tempos and genres…and it’s still only the first song! Both heavy and haunting, ‘Lotus’ is a friendly ghost of a song, and one that’ll follow you around all day.
Freaks is an album that explores some serious topics; anxiety and past trauma are themes that run throughout, yet this is ultimately a record of hope, and the often upbeat music makes the perfect foil for the sobering lyricism. Despite this being the band’s first album, they show a great maturity in their editing techniques; they don’t feel the need to overcomplicate things, and they don’t use two chords when one will suffice, and subsequently the three-minute arctic blast of ‘STAB BY STAB’ is as equally powerful as the multi-segued ‘OVERDOSE’. In short, the band never lose sight of song structure and liberally infuse their songs with melody, yet they still have a few surprises up their collective sleeve, such as the funky saxophone on ‘CANVAS’ (where the hell did that come from?!). It’s the majestic title-track that brings the album to a fitting finale, and one that marks AVRALISE as ones who’re watched by fans and critics alike.
- FREAKS is released via Arising Empire on 22nd March 2024.
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Track List:
- LOTUS
- HIGHER
- BRIGHT
- STAB BY STAB
- CANVAS
- ALIVE
- OVERDOSE
- FREAKS
