You can support Terra Relicta by donating! Please, do so, and thank you!
Band: Apneica
Album title: Pulsazioni...Conversione [EP]
Release date: 7 August 2014
Label: Self-released
Tracklist:
01. Alba Artificiale
02. Assenza di Gravita
03. In Orbita
04. Pulsazioni...Conversione
Coming from a beautiful Italian island of Sardinia, Apneica are back with a brand new EP entitled Pulsazioni...Conversione and believe it or not this thing sounds very good. Those who had the opportunity to listen to Apneica's self-titled debut album released three years ago will be surprised a lot. Apneica is no more one-man act, even it isn't anymore just a bland instrumental band, it comes with a complete line-up and perfective sound. Even the style changed a lot, though in the beginning I was a bit afraid how everything will turn up with Italian lyrics, but in truth this fact is a nice and original refreshment. Apneica is now a fine melodic doom/death metal group with a clear vision and I believe that this is just the beginning of something even bigger yet to come.
Let me start with the concept of the release that is well thought and centered around human beign and the loss of the path, still searching for new experiences and point out to the convertion into a new level of simple life. So, the lyrics are this time worth checking out, I was quite impressed by the lyrical skills of guitarist and founder Alessandro Seghene. Now, what about music, the part that actually matters. I'm sure that Apneica will became with this EP an important name in the doom metal scene. To be truthful they mostly stay within the genre borders but still they showed on many occasions that they can go further than just to limit themselves on slow, yet heavy and brutal compositions. There are so many nice acoustic soothing and melancholic atmospheric interludes inserted into the tracks, for major part this is done really extraordinary and is deepening the ambiance thus adding a lot to increase the dramatic moment in most of the tracks, but still the band has a lot to learn as sometimes they ruin the vibrant flow with just the same thing.
When they go harsh and heavy everything becomes very dense with crushing guitar riffs, thunderous, most of the time technical drumming and strong bass lines, often slow to mid paced tempo, everything peaked with Ignazio's vocals that range from deep growls, screams, sometimes even at the edge of black metal, and of course gentle clean vocals on softer parts. Fans of for example October Tide, early era Opeth and Swallow The Sun to name just a few will know how to appreciate this EP, but also those digging up the special eerie melancholic melodies that Katatonia played years ago will find a lot for themselves. Alessandro shows on many occasions that he's a professional guitarist, not only with great melodic riffs, but as well with some unpretentious leads here and there. The first two tracks, "Alba Artificiale" and "Assenza di Gravita" are a fine example how to make dynamic and atmospheric doom/death metal without loosing the listeners interest. Then "In Orbita" is a typical representative of the genre, but even this one has some interesting psychedelic twists and a couple of guitar riffs that could be easily mistaken with those of Mr. Mackintosh (Paradise Lost) from Gothic/Shades Of God albums.
Pulsazioni...Conversione ends with gentle EP titled acoustic istrumental that nicely connects the end and the beginning of EP into one integral whole. I wouldn't mind some nice keys to make the atmosphere evem more gloomy and rich, but otherwise the guys did a good job here and those 25 minutes of music ends just like that. Maybe the production, which is good by the way, could add just a pinch more of depth to the overall picture. Yeah, there's a new name on the doom metal market my dear readers and I suggest you to find them out, you most sure won't be dissapointed (you can listen to the whole EP over HERE).
Review written by: T.V.
Rating: 7,5/10
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
