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Arceye: At first light
15/06/13 || Pr0nogo
NOT THEIR FIRST LIGHT
Arceye’s a death/thrash metal band from the United Kingdom, and “At First Light“ is their sophomore album. How’s that for your interesting one-liner to hook readers into your review? Yeah, MetalSucks should probably just hire me now, I write so damned well. Anyhow, let’s take a look at these limey bastards, shall we? Death/thrash, to me, is a genre you can’t really go wrong with. You’ve got the heavy, downtuned, ‘let’s slay their men, fuck their women, and slay their women afterwards’ attitude of death metal combined with the speedy, ass-on-fire, ‘punch them in the face until either it or your hand breaks’ theme coming from thrash. Arceye deliver me just what I look for in a death/thrash band, and boy am I happy to hear more good music. Let’s talk about it.
The vocals on “At First Light“ range from mid-pitched screams that scrub your brain clean with their ferocity and lower (but not quite low) death-like growls that exude power. Since three out of four band members in this outfit contributed vocals to the album, I’m not really that surprised at Arceye’s solid vocal performance – but I’m definitely happy to hear it. One of the best songs on the album “Brother Disarmed”, is made so memorable by one of the passages in the middle of the track, where all three of the band’s voices can be heard simultaneously. You’d think it’d clash horribly, but these guys made it work – a testament to their experience and talent if there ever were one. Seriously, that song is an incredible one, and if they don’t release that as a teaser, I’ll give them my what the fuck face.
Things don’t lessen up in the songwriting department, either. The guitars go above and beyond the call of duty on this album, showcasing not only technical proficiency but also taste. Arceye’s convinced me that they simply know what they’re doing. There are numerous instrumental pieces that graced my ears throughout my listen of “At First Light“, and they didn’t feel forced or phoned-in at all. These tracks do two important things: they show that the band is capable of diverse soundscaping, and they break up the heavier listens, allowing us to take a breather before we get pummeled in the chin by another onslaught of thrashy death. A solid performance by both guitarists ensures that our ears are never bored when they do start slamming full-force into our heads, and there are quite a few solos and sweet riffs scattered about in a very deliberate fashion. The bassist should be proud of himself, too, since I can hear some solid work in that department as well. What it came down to in the end is that these guys needed a smart producer and mixer for “At First Light“, and I don’t know how they ended up with Scott Atkins (Sylosis, anyone?), but that was a smart decision. He did this album justice, and it sounds pretty stellar.
The drumming is in keeping with the high standards of the guitars and the vocals, as well, and this is honestly the first record I’ve heard since “TCRA“ that feels like a complete effort by all parties involved. Arceye was certainly hell-bent on bending hell, so to speak, and the drums help shape the rest of the mix perfectly, slamming us with fast blast beats when they need to and slowing down for a breather when it’s appropriate. If anything feels custom-tailored to the album, I would single out the drum tracks, for that reason alone: it fits so damn well. I’ll reiterate when I say that “Brother Disarmed” is a great showcase of what the band has to offer, and it’s true for the drums, as well. Get on that song, gents. Sadly, I can’t link you to any of the tracks from this record, since you won’t be able to purchase it yourself until 7 August! I know it’s a great big dick move for me to hype the album up, but I’m sure they’ll release some kind of teaser in due time. “At First Light“ is a fantastic record that deserves your attention, your money, and probably your cocks, but I won’t suggest cutting those off (unless that’s what you’re into). Check the band out, and keep your eyes peeled for any news in the meantime. Those British fuckers are always up to no good when an album’s soon to release.
- Information
- Released: 2013
- Label: Hostile Media
- Website: Arceye Facebook
- Band
- Al Llewellyn: bass, vocals
- Dave Roberts: guitars, vocals
- Luke Durston: guitars, vocals
- Craig Mackay: drums, samples
- Tracklist
- 01. At first light
- 02. The storm
- 03. The longest drive
- 04. I silently wait
- 05. Sirius
- 06. Brother disarmed
- 07. Prey forgiveness
- 08. Damage done
- 09. The thirst
- 10. Dusk
