ARCEYE
It’s been four years since Arceye’s first album, ‘The Divide Between Chaos & Order’. An album that still stands strong today, ‘At First Light’ has a lot to live up to, and the opening title track meets that challenge head on. The quality of what was found on their first album is here in abundance, as is the musicianship, the song-craft, and the sheer mastery of all things fucking mighty! As if Arceye knew that we’d demand more evidence of their ability, just shy of the four minute mark, second track ‘The Storm’s grooves are deep and dark, the weight of the track a crushing response to any doubts as to the band’s prowess.
Okay, so bands are prone to frontloading their albums with the best tracks. A wise move of course; y’know, first impressions and all that. But Arceye have made the mistake of filling the album with all killer. There’s barely a moment across the album where they aren’t doing something exceptional. If it’s not the head-down hammer of ‘I Silently Wait’ doing the damage, it’s the grooved thrash of ‘Brother Disarmed’ or the dynamic thrust through the blood-lit hills and valleys of ‘The Thirst’ that delivers us into the acoustic closer ‘The Dusk’ that never fail to impress. Though few and far between, the album’s not without its flaws. With its lush orchestration, the near-predictable ebbs and flows of ‘Sirious’ mean that while it may not be the best instrumental we’ve heard, it’s still got its moments and demonstrates a band that are prepared to push themselves without fear of falling or, as in this case, stumbling a little.
Well produced, well-crafted, and well-executed, ‘At First Light’ elevates Arceye well above that mass of bands two or more albums in with still no sign of innovation on their horizon. An album that is death-defyingly heavy, whilst seeing band shift it up more than just a notch or two since their first album, ‘At First Light’ puts a lot of the output of a number of veterans to shame. Compulsory.
Okay, so bands are prone to frontloading their albums with the best tracks. A wise move of course; y’know, first impressions and all that. But Arceye have made the mistake of filling the album with all killer. There’s barely a moment across the album where they aren’t doing something exceptional. If it’s not the head-down hammer of ‘I Silently Wait’ doing the damage, it’s the grooved thrash of ‘Brother Disarmed’ or the dynamic thrust through the blood-lit hills and valleys of ‘The Thirst’ that delivers us into the acoustic closer ‘The Dusk’ that never fail to impress. Though few and far between, the album’s not without its flaws. With its lush orchestration, the near-predictable ebbs and flows of ‘Sirious’ mean that while it may not be the best instrumental we’ve heard, it’s still got its moments and demonstrates a band that are prepared to push themselves without fear of falling or, as in this case, stumbling a little.
Well produced, well-crafted, and well-executed, ‘At First Light’ elevates Arceye well above that mass of bands two or more albums in with still no sign of innovation on their horizon. An album that is death-defyingly heavy, whilst seeing band shift it up more than just a notch or two since their first album, ‘At First Light’ puts a lot of the output of a number of veterans to shame. Compulsory.
LABEL:
FORMAT:
Hostile Media
Album
AT FIRST LIGHT
Review by Jason Guest
RUNNING TIME:
47:15
RELEASE DATE:
7th August 2013
TRACK LISTING
1) At First Light
2) The Storm
3) The Longest Drive
4) I Silently Wait
5) Sirius
6) Brother Disarmed
7) Prey Forgiveness
8) Damage Done
9) The Thirst
10) Dusk
2) The Storm
3) The Longest Drive
4) I Silently Wait
5) Sirius
6) Brother Disarmed
7) Prey Forgiveness
8) Damage Done
9) The Thirst
10) Dusk
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
UK
"An album that is death-defyingly heavy, whilst seeing band shift it up more than just a notch or two since their first album, ‘At First Light’ puts a lot of the output of a number of veterans to shame."
