I have never hidden my appreciation for the Tasmanian outfit Atra Vetosus, which might be one of my favorite acts on the great Flemish label Immortal Frost Productions. For more than one decade, both parties have been working together, with always a satisfying result in mind.
So, I was quite ‘happy’ (indeed, a sentiment that seems to occur to humans) to notice that Josh Young, Josh Gee and co. had a new recording finished. It has been about four years since these guys released their latest (mini) album, Even The Dawn No Longer Brings Hope. Welcome b(l)ack, people!
This new epos, consisting of six hymns, was recorded, mixed and mastered by Nosce Teipsum member David Luck (he collaborated as sound-master for Atra Vetosus’ live registration Live At The Royal Oak before, if I am not mistaken) at the Cameron Johnson Audio studio, which is a new given, for Atra Vetosus did everything themselves before (at least, it was band member Josh Young who took care of the recording duties at the Dawnless Studio ‘back then’), or in collaboration with Owe Inbörr (Wolfthrone Studio) for the mastering services.
Which easily brings me to the analysis of the sound quality. Well, compared to the past, I cannot say anything negative about Cameron Johnson Audio. New studio, new guy behind the desk, yet still the production and sound-mix are of a high-level quality. All instruments and voices come well-balanced, with each of them being represented honestly and equally. Okay, maybe it sounds little more ‘clean’ than before, with those edges that are less sharp, and with a degraded rawness (I like that little bloody roughness), but that’s just my personal, and therefor totally subjective opinion.
Undying Splendour was recorded by Josh Gee (lead vocals, keyboards, as well as the poetry), Josh Young (guitars, backing voices and song-writing), long-time drummer Josef Bound and new bass-player Jeremy Hughes, who very recently joined the band after Matthew Lopez parted ways with Atra Vetosus. The total running time is over forty-six minutes, with one short instrumental piece and five quite lengthy compositions (in between seven and eleven minutes).
In essence, this third full-length goes on in the vein of the last recordings, yet with some scant changes in atmosphere, composition and performance. Opener This Fallow Heart says it all. It starts with a really beautiful introduction, i.e. an hypnotic guitar melody as basic, soon joined by other acoustic strings and progressive drum-patterns. Yet soon things unfold themselves, when the fine floating atmospheres seem to invite, and express, more progressive, even Post based structures. Damn, that leading melody is so captivating, while the whole interplay of instruments overwhelms. Mind those excellent bass lines, the marvelous six-strings, these powerful voices and that unique execution of drums and percussions.
When talking about the latter, the drums, there is a huge progression once more, hearable in both that first hymn on Undying Splendour as for all other compositions. Josef experiments with rather discordant as well as inventive patterns, including semi-blasting, fierce double bass drums, thunderous and dynamic structures, progressive rhythms, and militant techniques. The main voices, then again, are less ‘shouting’ than before, yet rather painful and wretched. I can appreciate the emotive expression of this timbre, embracing the Blackgaze-oriented scene. Besides, one can also expect beautiful ‘clean’ vocals - not of the high-pitched kind or whatever, yet rather crooning - as well as several solid grunts and rough yells. And when it comes to the guitars, both four- and six-stringed, one must accede the importance of technical evolution. The dual tremolo leads, the supportive rhythm guitar lines and the remarkable post-rendered basses sound solid, vivid, captivating and prominent, once in a while injecting a hint of sludgy groove.
In the vein of the past, most of the tracks are lengthy. But the known proficient variation of old has increased once more. Fast chapters interchange with some decelerated passages, and then suddenly explode towards semi-blasting territories (mind the opening sequence for Tormentation Of The Guileless, for example, which brings the Norwegian scene from thirty-five years ago to mind [and enjoy those drum parts throughout this epic piece!]). It sounds so organic, so evident, so manifest. Atra Vetosus pursue their initial melodicism while expanding spheres of open-minded creativity without losing themselves in stylistic exaggeration of pathetic experimentation. Their use of acoustic and ambient passages (with keyboards, acoustic strings and piano) is still thoroughgoing and well-balanced into the whole adventure. It works, even-though being used sporadically, as intro, as intermezzo, and as outro, every time again (and I did mention a shorter piece, which is the purely acoustic song Where Limbs Become Trees, for your information).
Like many stuff on this label, Immortal Frost Productions offers different physical opportunities, besides the known digital download: a compact-disc, which includes a poster and a 24-paged (!) booklet, a ‘normal’ vinyl version (with insert and an A12-sized poster) and a limited LP in ‘transparent orange crush / opaque easter yellow heavy splatter’ variant (this one too comes with that lyric-insert & poster). It has very fine artwork and paintings by no one else but René ‘Ronarg’ (not a stranger at all to the label and its signings), with WrathDesign (another eternal Immortal Frost Productions alumnus) kindly offering its experience for the perfection of the final layout and design.
https://immortalfrostproductions1.bandcamp.com/album/undying-splendour
https://atravetosus.bandcamp.com/album/undying-splendour
https://www.concreteweb.be/reviews/atra-vetosus
https://www.concreteweb.be/reviews/atra-vetosus-0
https://www.concreteweb.be/reviews/atra-vetosus-1
https://www.concreteweb.be/reviews/atra-vetosus-2
https://www.concreteweb.be/reviews/atra-vetosus-3