Band: AORNOS
Country: Hungary
Title: 2014-2017 Tape Collection
Label: Fekete Terror Productions
Year: 2018
Style: Black Metal
Review:
This is a collection of 4 tapes representing re-releases of the band's first 4 releases: Orior (full-length, 2015), Alea Iacta Est (EP, 2015), Mors Sola (full-length, 2016) and From the Deep (My Tribute to the Masters of Dark Side) (covers only EP, 2017), all composed and recorded when the Aornos was a one-man-band with Algras handling all instruments and vocals. Even from the first album, which was also the band's debut release, it's obvious we're dealing with an above-average material, a mid-tempo to fast paced Atmospheric Black Metal reminding of Limbonic Art / Arcturus, built on heavy rhythm section, clever riffing, abundant keyboard layers and raw, raspy vocals. Alea Iacta Est offers 2 new tracks and 5 cover songs (Morbid Angel and Sear Bliss among others) and represents a step up in speed and intensity of the material delivered, and also from my point of view a bit more Death Metal inclined if we're talking about the occasional guitar solo outbursts and even some riffs, but at its core the music is still Atmospheric Black Metal. The song-writing has improved even though we're talking about a release from the same year. Next is the Mors Sola album which features 9 tracks, one of them being taken from the previous EP, and basically follows the same path opened by Alea Iacta Est, a faster, more aggressive Atmospheric Black Metal with a higher level of technical display when it comes to song-writing, but also what seems to be Algras' desire to become as extreme as possible, contrary to what one would expect for the band to become opened to softer sounds. The last tape here is made of 6 cover versions of tracks signed by Morbid Angel, Emperor, Limbonic Art, Arcturus, Satyricon and Thorns, or exactly as the EP name suggests it, the bands that represented the most influence on Algras until that moment. I feel side B (covers by Thorns, Limbonic Art and Arcturus) represents better what Aornos stands for, and also I like the covers better.
All in all this is an excellent idea to present the beginnings of Aornos, and also releasing this in a 4 tapes boxset that comes together with 5 postcards and a band logo patch give it more value for the buyers. to be honest I like the band's debut album the most, but check them all out and make your own mind.
Reviewed by Adrian
Rating: -/10