ALBUM REVIEW: Atriarch - "Dead As Truth"

By: Ernesto Aguilar

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 11/08/2017

Label: Relapse Records

There is so much to enjoy about the new Atriarch release. You have heavier cuts like "Dead" and "Devolver" to mix among the more pensive songs. The songwriting is superior. And, best of all, you have a talented group back for a release that is sure to remind you why you enjoyed its brutal sound when they debuted.

“Dead As Truth” CD//DD//LP track listing

1. Inferno

2. Dead

3. Devolver

4. Void

5. Repent

6. Hopeless

The Review:

Atriarch are one of those bands that cuts across a ton of subgenres. For many outfits, that can go lots of ways, for better or worse. There are more than a few examples of times this does not work. Too many metal performers trying to be too much to too many people, and it can be exasperating. Similarly, in this Portland-based group, you can hear hard rock, gothic, post-punk, black metal and doom, but it is altogether better than all that sounds.

On their fourth full-length recording, "Dead As Truth," Atriarch does so famously because its members build upon a series of well-received releases with a sound that, for all it is advertised as, does the core parts so remarkably.

Atriarch bills itself as classic death rock, but there is a good chance you will hear tinges of old-school death metal here. From haunting singing to touches of dirge and, in truth, a lot of heavy, sludgy guitar, you will catch the screams of some of death metal's originators in Atriarch's blast. Instead of the screeching, indecipherable C-list material you can find anywhere, though, Atriarch paints some ghastly images without the nonsensical bombast. "Dead As Truth" continues the growth of the group's sound and, in many ways, makes it far more intimidating because it is more cerebral than most.

Fans of the band's past recordings may believe this new package sounds toned down compared to past collections. Such an observation is largely true, but rather than chill, this one feels like a more sophisticated entry. The restraint you hear from the opener, "Inferno," to the closer, "Hopeless," is used to support savage storytelling. "Void" taps a similar lyrical delivery, until it unleashes the full bore of anguish on the listener.

There is so much to enjoy about the new Atriarch release. You have heavier cuts like "Dead" and "Devolver" to mix among the more pensive songs. The songwriting is superior. And, best of all, you have a talented group back for a release that is sure to remind you why you enjoyed its brutal sound when they debuted.

"Dead As Truth" is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

Atriarch - An Unending Pathway (Album Review)

Album Type: Full-Length

Date Released: 24/10/2014

Label: Relapse Records

‘An Unending Pathway’CD//LP//DD track listing:

1). Entropy
2). Collapse
3). Revenant
4). Bereavement
5). Rot
6). Allfather
7). Veil

Atriarch is:

Lenny | Vocals
Brooks | Guitars
Maxamillion | Drums
Joe | Bass

Review:

“Atriarch is a living entity comprised of four parts, offering catharsis through sonic ritual. Our aim is to tear a hole in the veil that blinds us from our true selves." 

‘An Unending Pathway’, Atriarch's first release on Relapse Records, is a challenging, harrowing record. In just over forty minutes, the group lurches and reels along a path of death rock, psych doom, and blast-laden fury. "Entropy" starts things off slowly and deliberately -- ambient sounds, whispers, chants, and bassist Joe Wickstrom's unsettling melody line all make it clear that this is not your usual doom metal fare. The opening line of the song, "we have a tendency to perceive time as a straight line," is as prophetic as it is cryptic. This record is anything but straight forward. As the track continues to build with more complex guitar lines, the band launches into a chaotic round of blast beats and double-bass lines, accented by Lenny Smith's increasingly intense vocal deliveries. Suddenly the song ends, and there is a sense of uneasy relief as "Collapse" begins with its own dramatic crescendo. 

However, Atriarch avoids returning to the clean, sparse instrumentation and chants of the previous track; this is part of an intentional ebb and flow, a sort of doomed-out sine wave whose peaks and valleys are both narrowing and intensifying as the record progresses.  Admittedly, the shouts and chants may turn off those who prefer a more traditional sung or screamed vocal delivery, but there is something urgent, compelling, even manic, to Smith's proclamations. As those warnings give way to harsh, distorted screams, one cannot help but feel the walls closing in during the closing movement of "Collapse" before it gives way to the snare drum intro of "Revenant."

The song titles and lyrics outline the trajectory of the album, an exploration of mortality, death, and the nature of existence. This record is a thematic whole, in spite of (or because of) the unique moments of each song. From the atmosphere of tracks like "Entropy" and "Rot" to the furious opening of "Bereavement", Atriarch know when to pull back on their sonic assault and when to steamroll the listener. 

"We try to comprehend life without an end/ there’s no ego, there's no self in the end/ no face, no name/ you are not you/ you are the ending." With the closing lines of "Veil," the theme of nonlinearity is brought full circle. As the track fades out with the contrasting Tibetan-style throat chanting and reverb-drenched singing of Jessica Way (Worm Ouroboros), the ending is reminiscent of, yet miles away from, the calm opening moments of ‘An Unending Pathway’.

This is not an album for easy listening. Much like the story contained within the lyrics, the album itself is a non-traditional journey. For those willing to commit themselves, the result is an unsettling-yet-rewarding arrival at a glorious cosmic awareness.

Words by: Ben Hutcherson

You can pick up a digital copy here and a CD/LP copy here.

For more information:

Facebook | Bandcamp

The Sludgelord News : RELAPSE RECORDS SIGNS ATRIARCH

Photo credit: Orion Landau

Relapse Records is extremely proud to announce the signing of Portland, OR blackened death/doom quartet ATRIARCH.  Formed in 2009, ATRIARCH (Lenny Smith - Vocals, Brooks Blackhawk - Guitars, Maxamillion - Drums, Joe Wickström - Bass) have released two full lengths including Forever the End in 2011 via Seventh Rule (STREAM) and Ritual of Passing 2012 via Profound Lore (STREAM) plus a split with Alaric on 20 Buck Spin.

The band will enter the studio this June with famed producer Billy Anderson (Sleep, Eyehategod, Agalloch) to record their third full-length and Relapse debut which is sure to be their most ambitious and darkest album to date.  The group commented on the upcoming material:

"We are constantly evolving as artists and we want to do something new with each release. Having said that it will always be dark and heavy and honestly reflect how we feel. Atriarch is a manifestation of our catharsis."

and the signing:

"It is an honor to be joining the ranks of Relapse Records. We are truly privileged to be able to stand along side so many great acts as peers."
More details on the new album will be announced shortly."


Fore more information : 

ATRIARCH Facebook
ATRIARCH Bandcamp
Relapse Records Europe Facebook
Relapse Records Europe Twitter

Source : Pioneer Music Press