CAPSULE
Blue
(Robotic Empire)

TOTAL FUCKING
DESTRUCTION
Peace, Love and Total Fucking
Destruction
(Enucleation)

ZOZOBRA / CLOUDS
Bird of Prey / We Are Above You
(Hydra Head)

LOS LLAMARADA
Against the Day
(Avant!)

CELESTINE
At the Borders of Arcadia
(Milkweed)

LIKE BLACK HOLES IN 
THE SKY
Tribute to Syd Barrett

(Dwell)

BEFORE THE RAIN
...One Day Less

(Major Label Industries)

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In the ever growing world of Neur-Isis like bands, Celestine kinda rule.  No one sounding this big through their vast arrangements, pensive chord progressions and threatening barks can claim originality. Maybe only a handful of years ago,  - before Neurosis ate the crust, Isis picked up the introspections and Mogwai went about being heavy without really being a heavy band - Celestine could have crowned themselves as innovators, but not in this day and age when everyone and their mothers claims to experiment by playing a hardcore influenced hybrid of metal and shoegazing subtexts. 

Let’s be blunt, At the Borders of Arcadia is a mighty fine recording.  It packs a punch where most subgenre dwellers lack muscle. It’s rather flawless because it flows in its varied mood range and it’s heavy and fucking big where others limit themselves by delivering peaks and valleys without second thought for feeling.

Celestine is a big animal claiming its territory. Their music doesn’t step into new boundaries, but the fields it walks it stomps and the echo of its beats resounds giantly.   This Icelandic combo nearly has it all, so what’s my fucking problem? If they are not trying to be original then they have nothing to worry about. Originality is certainly not the sole goal of music makers, song craftsmanship is. So really, we couldn’t go about tagging Celestine as an experimental band. But what they do, they do right.  To sum it up, my problem is that though very good, Celestine sound very much like many many bands out there. Their sound is hard to pick apart, and that’s a disadvantage,

Credit should go everywhere. The best merits of At the Borders of Arcadia are boosted by the beefy production job. The guitars sound powerful, the heavy tones have a perfect sound, avoiding the high pitches and the squeals, both Joseph and Omar alternate the simplicity of their approach between heaviness and clearer thin strings. The rhythmic base is quite competent, at times even syncopating  (“Witness”) the tempo. More noticeably, the vocals of Axel rip and scare. It’s all there. It’s a nice listen. Celestine are capable of crafting very engaging music. I just want to know whether they are capable of venturing out on their own.

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