Reviews: Arameus - Is your revolution merely for display?
If you have seen a review not featured here, or have reviewed this or any other Engineer release yourself for your zine, please contact Engineer Records so we can add the review to our site, thanks.
Verbicide (http://www.scissorpress.com)
Hardcore at it's finest. I like this one because no song sounds the same and although I can think of a few bands they remind me of sucha as Dillinger Escape Plan and Converge, they don't sound like one band but a blend of different styles earning them a unique rank in the ladder of metal. These guys are awesome musicians and I love how they integrate softer, gentler moments betweeen screams (my throat hurt just listening to it!), growls and crunchy guitar. I enjoyed this one from beginning to end and I'm sure it will be in my Discman on many treks to work and back for quite some time.
Sound Devastation
Arameus have an eclectic sound to say the least. Out on a split from two great record companies who seem to uncover amazing new talent in the UK on an almost weekly basis, this is another strong offering from both.
Moving from mad and intense screamo to crushingly beautiful melody and some great instrumental interludes Arameus seem to have completed the collection of different sounds, honed and stuck them together by mashing them in a grinder until they have an original and 'different' sound. And that's just 'Prism'. Having two vocalists has aided them into creating quick fire exchanges that every now and then remind one of SikTh. However, these lads have less jazz like tendancies.
The vocalists both being equally talented is a big plus for Arameus. For many bands with two frontmen I always want to comment about 'getting rid of that bloody one' but here it becomes irrelevant. The exchanges, both heavy and melodic are probably best illustrated in both 'Finding Truth in Cliches Parts 1 & 2'. A special mention should go to Outhouse Studios, they have captured Arameus' sound very well, the production really fitting the music's vibe.
The instrumentation is equally forbodeing in terms of talent and quality from the other four members of the band. With roots firmly held in metal whilst straying into *ahem* 'cores' such as noisecore or maybe screamo. However, the pummelling bass and drum attack along with the harsh attack of dual guitars creates a strong background for the vocalists to work over. 'Low Cost Plan' is possibly the best example of the band really gelling in sound. It's a short track of fast paced, heads-down fucking metal devastation and must sound like the end of the world live. Arameus contrast it very nicely with 'DIY', a track with it s equal parts of heaviness, but some really memorable melodic singing. Yes, these boys can actually SING too. Amazing.
With '5 Sides to a Cicle' Arameus still put in a good effort. I'm wondering whether it fits with the tracklisting to be honest. It really is as minor a complaint as that. The track itself is strong enough but its slowing down of tempo seems to momentarily make the mini-album stutter and ruins the unity a little bit. No trouble though 'Tide Drawn' is here to get us back on track though with some fantastic guitar intricacies and some more manic exchanges. The drums and bass have been tight throughout the CD, and that's exactly what you want from your rhythm section. However, t hey themselves shine on this track really creating a core that the other members have to work around.
'Is Your Revolution Merely For Display?' ends with 'Turn Out Like Me'. It's a suitable track to end with, ending with a more melodic edge and some quite inspiring lyrics and the band really coming together to give their debut release a proper send off as it were! The band seems to borrow an epic edge from somewhere which may (or may not!) hint that perhaps some future material might venture into a more progressive/experimental edge. Either way 'Turn Out Like Me' is an amazing track to end an impressive mini-album. As long as Arameus can avoid falling into becoming to entrenched in their own sound and thus producing to this (not that this is bad of course!), over and over, then they are yet another band off these record labels to keep your finger on their movements.
Tasty (http://www.tastyfanzine.org.uk)
From first chord you immediately know what you're getting with Arameus. They're loud, complex and pretty damn good.
This album demonstrates a new talent on the hardcore scene as Arameus scream, yelp and sing there way through eight tracks which sound like Small Brown Bike being attacked sporadically by a crow with a love of complex metal. We have tight and complex guitar riffs that spiral and build around a mix of gruff screams, pained squawks and sung elements. The overall result is packed with anger but most importantly it's also packed with talent.
This is a formidable effort for any with an interest in music that is heavy in volume as well as integrity.
All Schools (Germany)
For a long time is it ago that us the sympathetic Engineer label (I had forgotten as one before the name change unfortunately called myself, but one brought the leckere Chamberlain to b-sides double CD or the winters in June/Steel Rules the Split raus) from England the last mark of itself speeches made. And eh one provides oneself stands one with a genuine bass drum impact in the door.
Arameus is called the newest Signing and supplies to us with 8 Song a strong mini album, which should instruct the people of a better, believed all to Metalcore volume about a comb to shear to be able. Because this Sextett plays as tremendously multilayered hard core as I it for a long time not more heard.
Times melodisch, times metallically, times choatisch and other times something between them. The Songs is structured much and for the energy opened here is responsible to majorities to the much to good singer, who apparently each tendency controlled (from Vampirgeschrei to bulldozer Gegrunze and Weirdo Staccato Vocals he can do everything) and besides still by manischen Backings is supportet.
Hat off! Who would like to have seized Arameus in references that is an ugly Mischlingskoeter from Waterdown, Atreyu and Darkest Hour. However without as first two mentioned volume pathetisch and exaggerated to sound kitschig. 8 Songs those convince completely. I cry after more!
Play Dead
Arameus specialize in riff heavy melodic metal. And 'Is Your Revolution Merely For Display' is their debut album, well actually as far as I know I think it's their debut release full stop.
There's no denying that there's some fucking awesome tunes on here, the best thing about them is the fact that they have a kind of natural ability to shift between a few similar genres and manage to warp them all together in some kind of attempt at covering all bases.
And it works.
This manages to tie in hardcore, with metal, with building emo-rock (in a good way), at times its noisy and vicious as hell, and the next minute you find yourself in the middle of a blasting, heavily melodic section. It shouldn't really work, but it does. The only thing I'm not hugely sure about, but it's only a minor quibble is the yelped vocals, but as with the music, the vocals also seem to be all over the place depending on the style of music, i.e. it can swing from throaty growls for the riffy bits, to full on singing to the melodic bits.
It's a weird one, but this CD has a whole style and character of its own, and for this fact alone it definitely makes it stand out. The fact that it's also accomplished, catchy, eclectic and ultimately rocks like a fucker is just a bonus really.
Metal Pigeon
Did you know Arameus is a made up word? Yup, that's right, it has absolutely no meaning. Formed a couple of years back in the beautifully dull southern town of Basingstoke, Hampshires Arameus offer us this, their first label release, a split between Midmarch Records and Engineer Records respectively.
Imagine if you will, the musical stylings of .Hopesfall. but with the vocal delivery of Haste- a twisting, shifting aural battering of progressive hardcore, lucid melodies and beatdown chuggery. The band are able to seemlessly switch between storming metallic evisceration and shoe-gazing prettiness at the drop of a hat. Vocally, they stand up well with both vocalists sounding entirely different (one attacking from the high register, the other from the mid/low). It feels at times like the songs were written to fit a child's attentions span- constantly changing, evolving and recreating their sound every few seconds. The band lock into a groove and within 20 seconds shift gear and up/down the pace respectively. It's worth noting that they for the most part manage to do this seamlessly.
On the downside, sometimes Arameus do on occasion wander helplessly into the realms of generic, sounding a little too much like the hordes of other bands pedaling out this style, and sometimes some of the sung parts fall into that horrible post-nu metal sound where the melodies lack any sort of appeal. Arameus, are however still a very young band and to produce a CD so consistent in its quality at such a young age isn't to be expected. Their next release is apparently going to be a concept album. Heh. Pink Floyd for the hardcore generation. 6.5/10
Room 13 (http://www.roomthirteen.com)
"Prism" is a shot of metal gunfire! Ryan Cloke's and Ben Morgan's vocals have a great range and are used to the full here as do the rest of the band playing a mixture of light (if that's possible) and heavy metal without blinking an eye.
"Finding Truth in Clichés Part 1" is a superb mixture of melodies and assaults on the ear. Especially showing how this band can put these different elements together as it moves into "Part 2". All through these numbers are fired up with superb axe work from Dave Porter and Alex Bewley, but particularly in both "Low Cost Plan" and "DIY". However they don't overshadow the bombs-in-your-ears bass work and drums from Edd Barrett and Dom Bewley. The ability of this band is shown off in "DIY" in particular.
"5 Sides to a Circle" is a dark number that has the excellent, but disturbing sound of Laura Baker's fiddle playing in it. How many of the bands of this genre could weave that into their overall metal mayhem? 'tide Drawn" involves what sounds like a vocal duel that has you wondering "what did I just hear?"
'turn Out Like Me" is the only track that is a bit disappointing after the class act before, it just doesn't add up.
Subba Cultcha (http://www.subba-cultcha.com)
Sad to say, but very few people working in the music industry (not musicians, but the folk who do the rest) actually know much about music. Unfortunately lots of these people are in the position of having to promote the bands themselves. including writing the biography for those like me who are in the position of having to review the product. Hence most biogs are bollocks, and of fairly limited use. Here is the perfect demonstration of why you should never take biogs seriously. Basingstoke 6 piece Arameus are described in theirs thusly: 'they make the same kind of ballsy metallic hardcore that other great British bands like Beecher and Raging Speedhorn have been championing for the last few years".
WHAT? Arameus could only bear comparison to Raging Speedhorn on the fact that both bands have two lead vocalists. It's a very lazy comparison. Arameus, you see, have more talent in their little toes that either of the aforementioned bands. They play a nu metal version of some of the emocore (as opposed to emo) bands on the British scene in the early nineties. I hear a mixture of Deftones with the likes of Tribute or Bob Tilton, but with a Fantomas-esque edge, as if all the time the music is on the edge of total collapse, but in defiance of gravity and common sense the band somehow hold it together. Rather like Dillinger Escape Plan and the comparison holds. Certainly their music is far more complex and layered than anyone who has properly emerged from the UK nu metal scene before.
As much as their music is interesting in arrangement and execution, Arameus will most likely never cross over to mass appeal. I can see them producing some excellent albums, of which this is undoubtedly an extremely credible first, but they'll never write a top ten hit. And thank goodness for that. Cult classic status is written all over them. Buy "Is Your Revolution Merely For Display", and you'll know exactly what I mean.
Sweet Jane Music (http://www.obrac.de/sweetjanemusic)
The Sextett published by ARAMEUS - resident at the south coast of the united kingdom - its debut album on equivalent two labels. 'MidMarchRecords' from Brighton got themselves on reason of the better sales network 'Engineer' to assistance. Thus does it come also that "Is Your revolution Merely for display?" here somewhat late into the shops comes, now however at least into nearly all.
ARAMEUS captivate by their metallic, very modern constituted hard core. One would however never come into the embarrassment to have to stamp this volume as directly "Metalcore" because this is not to be heard on the debut white God. The sometimes very elevatorannoying guitars remind only of any sounds from this category. ARAMEUS have two singers with Ryan and Ben. The one walk as if it no more mornings would give, the other one is responsibly for the predominant melodischen parts.
One thinks of a mixture from BEECHER and RAGING SPEED HORN. The schnittmenge from this both volume comes the sound ARAMEUS ' quite near. The eight Songs fronts by sections and let parts of "Prism" become very aggressive approximately because of the chaotic guitar play. Parts, which get along without Distortion and are also quite catchy as, offer a counterpart to these passages.
In moments like these ARAMEUS knows best too fallen, because one already too often heard the counterpart in addition. "Finding Truth in Cliches" about is hinreissend melodisch at the beginning, becomes then however a washgenuine Hardcore Song with all corners and edges. One knows musical experiencedness ARAMEUS on "Is Your revolution Merely for display?" award definitely.
Who the interrelation "cried Vocals cleaner singing" is not yet wrong, which this volume can to the heart is put. This debut has to offer both ausufernde and very calm moments, remains thus always variedly and convincingly.
