Aara – Triade III: Nyx

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Switzerland’s Aara brings its third concept album titled “Triade III: Nyx” and boasts impressive performance and well-crafted compositions. Less than a year after releasing their second entry of the trilogy "Triade II: Hemera", the Swiss trio explores themes of the vintage novel "Melmoth the Wanderer" by the Irish writer Charles Maturin. The sonic work of the three members Berg (guitar, bassist, and keyboardist), Fluss (vocals, lyrics), and J. (drums) have compiled a succinct song craft, although much of the fat has been cut from the composition of the fifth album spanning 40 minutes.

The six sonic chapters offer classical trademark melodies that seem to be perfected in each studio album, despite the broad shifts and the use of majestic chorale and subtle keyboards the musical core remains essentially unchanged. The opening track “Heimgesucht” builds on the intensity of the tremolos and the blasting percussion with the signature screeching vocals of Fluss. This time around, Aara unveils its melodic grandiosity by focusing on fast-paced tremolo-picked riffs likewise the furious drums utilize some double bass and the blazing tremolos pour forth into a wall of sound. There are some major changes in the songwriting and the overall sound of the instruments because of the vivid sound production and the clarity of the guitars make the song more opulent.

The strong emphasis isn’t only on the guitars, as everything from the keyboards is beautifully textured while keeping a sinister and often gothic atmosphere fluid. The album’s best moments come in the form of an aural barrage on the following track “Emphase der Seelenpein” where the musical palette constantly overflows with the shimmering atmosphere of the streaming tremolos. As for the drums, they are the real highlight of the album and provide a beautiful landscape to the whole framework. The melodies are vivid and sated with rhythm guitars combined to create a beautiful harmony between the acoustic guitars and the luxurious atmosphere.

The creative methods of inserting multilayered guitar textures provide part of the complex themes that consist of compressed tremolos and an impressive arrangement of melodies. For example “Moribunda” is a chromatic somber piece mixing furious percussion and thick tremolo-picked riffs, the brooding sound of the female chorus ebbing and flowing sets a darker mood that defines the unique sophisticated style of Aara. Flus churns out his dark poetry in his screeching vocals adding menacing textures, “Triade III: Nyx” might be similar to the band’s preceding albums, but the trio has achieved an outstanding quality due to the sheer level of detail on each of the six tracks.

Unstern” breaks out from the melancholy palette when the blasting sections fill the tempo with a robust intensity and while sounding grandiose and powerful, the echo of the female verse and the drums shifts its way through a tempo that is clearly fast and blistering. Dark passages ebb and flow with the melodic tremolos and the music simply takes us through breathtaking moments, these elements are shrewdly embedded into the composition. Guitarist Berg’s masterful performance is easily among his best works on the album, therefore the songs are riddled with catchy tremolo-picked riffs.

The steaming guitars and the dark, ornate atmosphere in “Des Wanderers Traum” are packed with spectacular performances and phenomenal guitar qualities. The use of the majestic choral style is one of the dominating elements, all these remarks make the third trilogy a great accomplishment for the Swiss trio. This aesthetic of modern atmospheric black metal has reached a spectacle mixture of multilayered guitars, towering screeching vocals, and focused drumming mechanization to provide earworm symphonies of somberness.

Each instrument contributes to the music building a luxurious and elegant mood, showing how such ideas can result in fabulous outcomes. The album’s closing track “Edo et Edam” ventures into multiple tempos but keeps us engaged with the charming atmosphere of the elegant guitar riffs transporting us to the Renaissance era of Europe with dark melodic themes and emotional piano melodies that captivate us throughout the duration of the song. Once again Aara shows us how they can evoke the baroque art of atmospheric black metal in the most Victorian majestic themes.

 

REVIEW SCORE

  • Music / Songwriting 9/10
  • Vocals / Lyrics 10/10
  • Mix / Production 9/10
  • Artwork & Packaging 8/10
  • Originality 9/10
9

“Triade III: Nyx” is flawlessly arranged and crafted by these gifted musicians, who have succeeded at creating one of their best albums in the discography. The album is highly recommended for fans of Blut Aus Nord, Paysage d’Hiver, and Forteresse.

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