ALBUM REVIEW: Arkaik - "Nemethia"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 29/09/2017

Label: Unique Leader Records

There are riffs, leads, changes, orchestral flourishes, contrasting vocals, epics, face melters and so on. This is not as immediate a record as “Lucid Dawn”, but it is more ambitious and I suspect that it will reveal depths that Arkaik's previous releases have not reached. A stunning effort.

“Nemethia “CD//DD track listing:

1). Occultivation

2). Of Violence And Pestilence Born

3). Order Of The Hierogon

4). Dweller On The Threshold

5). Futile State

6). The Eupnean Relic

7). Lifting Amnesia

8). Telegnosis

9). Nexion Stargate

The Review:

Arkaik return with another slice of state of the art tech-death. After the excellent “Lucid Dawn” almost exactly two years ago, the band have not rested on their laurels and have once again come up with an album's worth of shredding beastly metal. As I noted last time around, the dedication to their chosen craft is absolutely admirable. In 2015 I injected a little humour into the review, along with praise, but that humour may have done the band a disservice- “Lucid Dawn”is still in semi regular rotation for me to this day which proves that these guys may be practising in the garage every spare hour, but it is not for nothing by any means- they made a fantastic slab of metal two years ago. With that in mind, I was really looking forward to this record.

There are more detours this time around- classical-esque sections here and there to offer light and shade, plus a thick and muscular sound which is different enough to previous records to mark the album out, but clear enough to display the talents of those involved. This is impressive stuff, of that there is no doubt. Opener “Occultivation” is a dynamic track of violence and force with suitably widdly leads.

The synth/mock orchestral intro for “Of Violence and Pestilence Born” leads into a maelstrom of time changes, growled and Shrieked vocals and blasting. Heavy stuff- and hard to follow, too. There are surprises- the 9.34 of “Order of Hierogon” takes in choral effects, piano, orchestral synths and brutally efficient death metal. To keep this up for close to ten minutes is pretty sensational. Easy listening this is most certainly not, though and as a listener this album demands attention and will tax you.

In amongst the nine tracks, there are synth/ambient and instrumental pieces such as “Dweller On The Threshold” and “Listing Amnesia” and they fit rather nicely with the more straightforward likes of “Futile State”. Please note that straightforward does not mean easy! There is also serpentine riffing in “Telegnosis”as well as brutal blasting. There are enough twists and turns in that track alone for an average metal band's full album, but Arkaikmake it sound easy.

The line up changes seem to have not affected the band one jot- this stuff is as technical and as brutal as it gets. By the time of closer “Nexion Stargate”, there will have been more than enough of all aspects to satisfy the most pedantic of listeners. There are riffs, leads, changes, orchestral flourishes, contrasting vocals, epics, face melters and so on. This is not as immediate a record as “Lucid Dawn”, but it is more ambitious and I suspect that it will reveal depths that Arkaik's previous releases have not reached. A stunning effort.

“Nementhia” is available here

Band info: facebook