Release date: 19th January 2018
When I saw the words “orchestral death/doom” describing the genre of this album, my ears immediately pricked up. Eigengrau is the fourth album from Australian band Rise Of Avernus and it’s a rather excellent bit of work. It’s a confident and well-presented piece, and it’s clear that Rise Of Avernus have spent a good amount of time perfecting their sound and ironing out any creases.
Eigengrau is a well-rounded collection of tracks, and the blend of orchestral approaches with the more conventional death/doom sound is fantastic. The two different styles merge well together, with the melodies juxtaposing nicely against the harsh, bleakness of the doom. Fifth track Tempest is a particularly good example of this; the snarled vocals and wall of guitars are a nice contrast against the symphonic melodies and the two move in tandem with one another to craft something uniquely powerful.
It’s difficult to pinpoint a clear highlight of the album because everything is just so good. From the powerful and gripping opener that builds things up and up into a striking track that really gets under your skin, right through to the epic closing track that feels like a mini masterpiece, there’s no shortage of songs to sink your teeth into, and it’s just an all-round immersive listen that is easy to get lost in.
Eigengrau is an absolute treat – and with awesome releases this early on in the year, surely it bodes well for 2018 being a fantastic year for new music.
9/10
