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What
Saros presents sounds like black metal for a more calmed
and not so neurotic generation. For an idea of how Acrid
Plains sounds like, take what you commonly consider as
black metal and substract the crazy, the anarchy, the
out of control childishness, the zero production values,
the in your face please-fucking-look-at-me excesses, and
add sheer musicality, a decent recording sound and a
clear and clean mix plus a sense of command that’s
expressed through the sheer lack of peeks and valleys in
this music. To some, that may take away the whole spirit
of black metal, so perhaps we shouldn’t consider Saros a
black metal band.
Their sound
is indeed so clean and streamlined, at times some of these songs
remind of Queensryche. You know how that band mid career played
nifty prog rock without the finger noodling and ridiculous
excesses? That’s what Saros does. Their songs never overwhelm. They are long but simple and stated. The guitars are fatless.
The solos are impressive in their fluency and cleanliness. Chris Degarmo couldn’t have played it better. This dude can shred, but
what’s the point of doing that if you can service the song
instead. On top of that, the drums have color, but you couldn’t imagine Neil Peart with so few cymbals. And the vocals of Leila Abdul-Rauf
(also of Amber Asylum) are a mild grunt, a biting throat that
surprisingly, often turns soft and comforting.
The lush
aspect of Saros' music becomes more evident as we pass the first
half. Abdul-Rauf makes more frequent use of her lusty vocals and
the music is frequently gentle, moving at an elegant mid pace
and recalling the patience and niceness of shoegaze. “Us the
Tyrant Falls Ill” is as metal as it is polka. Crystalline
acoustic strumming, angelic vocals and dramatic cello aside, I
could wake up to this with not one bit of shit mood. If there is anything I find at fault is the band’s total reliance in gentle
melodies. It may be more of a personal issue but when Saros play
heavy, they do so with such calm is sometimes unaffecting. If
you are fine with gentle metal though, then this may be one of
the best releases of the year.
MySpace
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