ACYL “Aftermath”

Self-released, 2016

Music: Ethnic Metal / Folk Metal
Website: http://www.acyl.fr
Duration: 47:26 minutes (10 tracks)
Country: France

ACYL comes from France, but the members (at least part) came from Algeria. “Aftermath” is the second full album of the band recorded after the material from 2012 entitled “Algebra.” It seems that despite the times in which relations between European countries and Arabic countries are hectic, the band released the brave album. I confer that combining of Metal music with different kinds of Folk music, especially with the music of the Middle East (Arab and Jewish) I like very much. It seems that Algeria is under the influence of Arab culture and also the music contains many features of Arabic Music. And thanks to this it is a excellent merge of Metal music with Arabic music…

Of course ACYL is not first and only band of this type. There are many such bands, even well-known ORPHANED LAND or less known BREED77 or MYRATH and many others… Although I think ACYL is slightly different. Even by the guitars (with lowered tuning), and a specific form of arranging of riffs (sometimes similar to Groove Metal, sometimes to Death Metal or Metalcore). By these things ACYL many times sounds very mightily, predatory and crushingly, that is also underlined by the screams and growls with huge additions of the clean, melodic singing, recitation and choruses (often flowing on Arabic scales and tones). Similarly is with the notes of the guitar solos, which the melodies often refer to Arabic Music. In addition, an important artistic advantage of the music of ACYL is the use of traditional instruments and traditional chants in Arabic, which are interwoven between the Metal phrases and they mutually are complemented. Many times we will hear the sounds forming dark (or sometimes melancholic or desert) climate in the mood of the Middle East and North Africa.

In his arrangements, the band used a lot of interesting thematic solutions that make the music (with so extremely different sounds) is consistent. Severity, ferocity and aggression of Metal seamlessly intertwined with Folk motifs, melodies and atmosphere.

I would say that the composition symbolically shows a coherent unity and coexistence between East and West. If this is possible in the art, that this also must be possible in real life. It is only need to speak together and establish common ideas.

Tracklist:
1. Numidia
2. Mercurial
3. Gibraltar
4. Finga
5. Son of Muhieddine
6. The Battle of Constantine
7. Tin Hinan
8. Gaetuli
9. quanimity
10. Pride

Line-up:
Reda Ourdani – guitar, ethnic choirs, traditional percussion
Michael Varas – drums, samplers, ethnic choirs
Samy Rihane – bass, ethnic choirs, traditional percussion
Abder’Rahman Abdallaoum – guitar, ethnic choirs, traditional percussion
Amine Acyl – all vocals, guitars, drums, bass, ethnic choirs, oud, Algerian mandoline, traditional percussion

Rate: 9.0/10