NEAERA „Armamentarium”

Music: Deathcore/Death Metal/Swedish Death Metal
Country: Germany
www.neaera.com
Cool Songs: Spearheading the Spawn, Armamentarium

Tobias Buck, guitarist in the death/grind band MALZAN, first formed NINTH GATE in 2003. Buck retained much of the death metal sound from his former band, but added aspects of Swedish death metal and hardcore in the formation of his new band. Buck and company later changed their name to NEAERA, a character taken from Greek Mythology, and signed to Metal Blade in 2004.

It is important to note the bands history because it helps explain their sound. NEAERA claims hardcore as an influence. It is a nearly a given for a modern band to blend hardcore and Swedish metal, resulting in metalcore. NEAERA is by no means a metalcore band, though. Swedish death metal and other forms of European extreme metal are more obvious in their sound. While many of todays bands look to more mainstream avenues such as newer IN FLAMES and SOILWORK for inspiration, NEAERA sets its gaze much further back to the origins of Swedish death metal.

The guitars and drums on Armamentarium are much harsher and faster than many bands of this fold. Guitarists Tobias Buck and Stefan Keller tuned their guitars to a low setting, resulting in a deep, churning sound. Palm-muted, low-end notes create raw, grinding riffs of a monolithic stature. This abysmal sound brings to mind DISMEMBER GOD DETHRONED, and EUCHARIST, as well as the ever significant, AT THE GATES, although at an earlier period. The guitars move along with a deep rumble, but open up near the end of a line or switch into a classic, Gothenburg thrash rhythm to hook in the listener. The guitars are important for the bands overall sound, but the drums provide the driving force, constantly fire away at machine-gun velocities. Drummer, Sebastian Heldt keeps his feet in constant, rolling motion.

Armamentarium wastes no time with relaxing intros. Spearheading the Spawn goes straight for the jugular with pulverizing drums and flesh-ripping guitars. The fathomless, grinding guitar makes a thrashy transition when singer Benjamin “Benny” Hilleke enters the foray. Benny does not possess the type of voice one would associate with a person named Benny. He sings at a range not quite high enough for the throaty emanations of black metal, but not low enough for the death metal growlers. His vocals fall between Trevor of THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER and Tomas Lindberg. In some places, he resorts to a deeper death metal growl that he couples with his higher pitch or uses solely, but primarily utilizes his higher range

NEAERA is bound to get their fair share of comparisons to THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER because of TBDMs huge impact on the world metal scene and similarities of styles. NEAERA shows a lesser hardcore and metalcore influence, though. Their bio says they were partial to hardcore, but this influence rarely makes an appearance. The only connection I could find with hardcore came from one section on the first song Spearheading the Spawn. The rest of the album is pure Swedish-inspired death metal. Drawing a comparison to TBDM does nothing but favor NEAERA. A tour with the worlds most successful deathcore band could do great things for the bands career!

note: 7.5/10

Tracklist

1. Spearheading the Spawn
2. Tools of Greed
3. Armamentarium
4. Synergy
5. Harbinger
6. In Loss
7. The Orphaning
8. The Escape From Escapism
9. Mutiny of Untamed Minds
10. The Need for Pain
11. Liberation
Total playing time 52:57

Line-up

Benjamin “Benny” Hilleke – Vocals
Tobias Buck – Guitars
Stefan Keller – Guitars
Benjamin Donath – Bass
Sebastian Heldt – Drums