Drømmen
Self-Released, 2021
9/10
A Los Angeles outfit who are certainly hard hitting but also embrace plenty of tunefulness in their riff heavy formula, Kemble Walters, Tony Baumeister, Trevor Howard and Dylan Howard, i.e. Aeges, fuse the best elements of metal, hardcore, alt-rock and sludge into one very compelling listen.
“Drifter” starts the listen after a brief, initial bout of atmosphere, and bursts into an intense and driving display of post-hardcore meet alt-rock that’s powerful, melodic and full of gritty energy, and “Pain” follows with intricate drumming from Dylan Howard as metallic ideas enter the soaring, buzzing climate.
There’s just 7 tracks here, and each one is fantastic. The middle tracks bring us the more reserved “Drink The Water”, which showcases Walter’s dynamic pipes amid Baumeister’s throbbing bass lines, while “Believer” alternates between cleaner moments of tuneful rock alongside plenty of thick riffs from Trevor Howard that parallel the greatness achieved by The Sword.
The final 2 tracks don’t disappoint either, and include the tense and bristling “Dreamstate”, and “A Room Full Of Mirrors” exits the listen with a thundering, busy approach that could fill stadiums and recruits throaty vocals, some very harmonic backing vocals and plenty of meticulous synergy between the 4 members.
A 30 minute listen that will appeal to metalheads, the hardcore crowd and even those with an affinity for ‘90s alt-rock, whether Aeges are dense and intimidating or finding a firm groove, you’ll enjoy every second of this impressive record.
Travels well with: This Twisted Wreckage- Ei8ht; Blackout Transmission- Sparse Illumination