Review Summary: Post-metal lite
From the ethereally captivating "Beyond a Thousand Years" up until the very end of this hour-long disc, From Oceans To Autumn’s third LP is one solid collection of instrumental atmospheric metal/rock songs. Striking a fine balance between the dynamics of post-metal and the airiness of atmospheric rock, the members of From Oceans To Autumn have crafted something that can be referred to as light post-metal – a style which will most probably appeal to both folks from the post-metal camp and also to those who find the gruff delivery and oppressing soundscapes of sludgier post-metal acts (think: Neurosis, Isis, Year of No Light) a little too much. The key to such an appeal lies in the fact that while the music on
Oath of Eternals is airy, somewhat upbeat even, the guitar punch that we associate with post-metal is still there. It’s not as in-your-face as is demonstrated by the aforementioned bands, but walls of sound do still occur and the record is heavy enough to warrant a atmospheric metal tag, rather than a atmospheric rock one. As for any complaints, the spoken word samples, though luckily seldom used, don’t add anything to the full package, and the record as a whole could benefit from having a few more epic moments, even if its smooth delivery is consistent. The instrumentation itself is fine, though. The question from here on out for these guys is whether they can elevate their game to the next level and become as great as one of their main influences, Rosetta. They definitely have the talent for it, they just need to push their compositions further and experiment more; bring more twists and turns into their formula. For now though,
Oath of Eternals is a perfectly solid piece of atmospheric metal that shouldn’t go unnoticed.
