Put this one on, lock yourself in a room, turn out the lights and turn it up REAL loud.
The Amenta returns with their first offering since 2013’s ‘Flesh Is Heir’ with another twisted and punishing opus entitled ‘Revelator’. The Amenta is a band from Sydney that truly sound like no other band this country has ever produced. Their signature hybrid sound of industrial sampling, heavy as it comes riffing and insane wall of sound style production leaves you wondering what the hell just happened, and their live show is no different to what you visualise when you listen to their recorded tracks.
My experience with the band began back in the Mictlan era, and then I remember watching their clip for Erebus which was the single on Occasus, which absolutely blew me away with its monolithic sound and crushing song structure. Then one of my old bands played a few shows with them in Melbourne back in the latter part of the 2000’s decade, and the live show was just as crushing as ever. Crazy lights, theatrical presentation and their vocalist Cain – who was new in the band back then – was just as scary to watch as he sounded on the recordings.
Revelator is no exception to the twisted insanity that the band has presented for almost two decades now. Some notable progressions in the music are evident, with almost Emperor-style clean vocals being more prominent in this release and certainly fitting the overall sound in a more than welcome fashion. The production again is top-notch, and really a perfect example of what you can do with a home studio when you spend the time crafting your art. Erik (guitars) and Cain (vocals) both had a hand in recording the album, with Joe Haley taking on the drum recordings pummelled out by his brother and the busiest musician in Australia, Dave Haley. That said, these guys are not amateur engineers and have the gear on hand to produce a world-class record at any attempt. They also have been spending years and years developing their skillset and honing their signature production niches. Once it all comes together though, it is a perfect brew of insanity, brutality and musicality.
As far as tracks that stand out on Revelator, there really are none. The album seems to have been written with the intention of it being heard as a collective and not a series of individual tracks. Listening to The Amenta, and specifically, Revelator, is like listening to a Nine Inch Nails produced movie soundtrack if Trent had been on a really dark and twisted acid trip…. even moreso than what he would come up with. Put this one on, lock yourself in a room, turn out the lights and turn it up REAL loud.
‘Revelator’ is available now via EVP RECORDINGS. Check it out below.
