Aversions Crown already have a solid recent history of writing some absolutely bone crunching tunes – and throughout Tyrant (Nuclear Blast) they’ve absolutely continued with that form. From the off, the brutal riffs, extreme vocals and the absolute machine like precision of the drumming holds together to make a phenomenal sound. It has been an exceptionally strong couple of years for the Death and Extreme Metal scene, and this album does more than enough to be included in that conversation.
Perhaps the most interesting feature across the album is the band’s ability to slightly tweak their sound here and there with the view of trying to bring something fresh to the sound and introducing a whole new level. The opening track ‘Hollow Planet’ is more of what you’d expect from Aversions Crown, with riffs and solos played out at neck breaking speeds and a passionate vocal delivery, but as second track, ‘The Glass Sentinent’, progresses the band slow it down a notch and instead of the constant barrage of chaos, you get a more technical, heavier sound.
You’ll find yourself comparing some of the more calculated methodical moments to the likes of Meshuggah because it has that same feel to it. There is definitely an Industrial tinge to their approach as well; especially from Jayden behind the kit who delivers some absolutely mind boggling blast beats. What they’re doing isn’t groundbreaking enough to shake up the scene entirely, but they do what they do extremely well and points only to a potentially very bright future for the Aussies.
It often sounds clichéd, but this is also an album which really grows with each listen. It is through repeated listens, you are able to appreciate some of those intricate details in the music but the power of some of these tracks and with reports of excellent recent live shows, Aversions Crown are well and truly on the front line, fighting the cause for Australian Metal at the moment.
7.5/10
TOM DONNO