AMIENSUS
Abreaction TRANSCENDING
Minnesota’s progressive BM adventurers carve out more territory
This progressive black metal collective have carved out a reputation for being risk takers for nigh-on a decade. Sounding more robust than ever after years on the road, their third record sees the pigeonhole-phobic quintet push the envelope a little more as they sprinkle some Alice In Chains-esque melodies (Beneath The Waves) and Bad Seeds-minded strings (Divinity) into the pot. Although some of the material starts to get a little samey, when these sonic adventurers get their recipe just right, as on the melodic yet menacing epic that is A Convocation Of Spirits, the results are very tasty indeed.