Angel Rising is a Progressive/Technical Death Metal band from France. September 22nd, 2023, the band released their third studio album, Afterlife 1, featuring eight brutal, epic, intense and captivating songs that would gratify Dying Fetus, Cryptopsy, and Nile fans. The album was released through WormHoleDeath.
Introduction:
Angel Rising, Afterlife: This review will evaluate every aspect of the album, from its intricate musical composition to its production. Our analysis will provide valuable insights to help you determine if this album is worth adding to your collection.
The First Three Sins of Afterlife
Let’s start by discussing the first three sins of Angel Rising and their Afterlife album.
The First Sin, The Strings/Keys: Consists of electrifying strings of hell, including complex riffage, virtuoso solos, clean passages, and acoustic sections to create a dynamic and captivating listening experience. The Second Sin, The Vocals: The vocals are equally impressive, featuring brutal growls and snarls, which convey a sense of aggression and raw emotion. The Third Sin—The Percussions: Involves suffocating drum patterns and majestic, epic beats to add a powerful and intense dimension.
The Fourth Sin: Overall Discussion: A release will leave fans of the band and their music alike craving more…
Immediately after the listener presses the play button, you’ll be transported into the world of the opening track, Utopia, with the sound of rain and darkness enveloping the listener. Then, the listener’s ears will be hit with a barrage of powerful and intricate riffs. The instrumental and vocal assault is progressive and technical, creating a truly immersive listening experience.
One continues their dark journey with the second track, After Life, and the remaining six pieces take the listener on an epic concept journey: “depicts an interdimensional being that stalks life in our universe because it represents a threat to existence. And the human species, or at least what it has become after the events described in the previous creations of Angel Rising, is now its target.”
After Life is a fruit of art that showcases their exceptional musical abilities. The album is a captivating blend of technical and progressive death metal, with a mix of brutal, melodic, old-school death metal and hints of dark, groove, and thrash; it simultaneously also showcases an array of musical elements and intricate structures that incorporate multiple tempos, moods, and soundscapes. Additionally, the epic-anguish male and angelic female vocals add a touch of beauty and intrigue to the music. Combining these different elements and styles creates a unique and well-crafted album that will captivate any listener.
My admiration for Angel Rising and the artist’s exceptional music and albums is undeniable. However, I must admit that After Life stands out as a superior release. The production’s overall sound is impressive; simultaneously, the devilmanship and instrumental, vocal, and music composition are executed flawlessly.
The eight tracks on the album are also equally solid, with intense pieces that showcase the artist’s impeccable songwriting skills and devilmanship. The powerful and epic concept behind the album ties everything together, making it a truly remarkable fruit of art that deserves recognition.
The album comes to an end with the last song, Endless Sorrow. The piece seamlessly blends the calming sounds of the ocean with intricate and powerful guitar riffs, evoking a sense of melancholy and foreboding.
We want to give a shoutout to Angel Rising and WormHoleDeath for letting us do this review. Now, we’re going to wrap it up by talking about the final three sins and concluding the review.
You’re Listening to “Utopia”
PlayThe Last Three Sins
Let’s discuss the last three sins, our thoughts on Angel Rising and their Afterlife album.
The Fifth Sin, The Memorabilia: Is that for us, Angel Rising, has once again proven its expertise in creating headbanging, brutal, beautiful, and epic music that captures the essence of different sub-genres.
After Life is a perfect addition to their discography and a testament to their musical prowess, each track in the album is a work of art, with intricate compositions, powerful sounds, and a wide range of moods. The band’s ability to create a unique sound by blending various genres is evident in every song.
The album accurately represents the band’s artistic vision and is a must-listen for any metalhead.
The Sixth Sin, The Artwork:
The artwork shows the hero, “Asai,” struggling with a horde of undead, unaware of the even greater danger that awaits him. And what a brutal and epic artwork! I get this “Lovecraftian,” “Dungeons & Dragons,” “Horror,” and “Dark Souls” vibe and concept!
The Seventh Sin, Disrelish:
Nothing to disrelish within the musical spectrum of Angel Rising, and their album After Life.
This concludes the Angel Rising, After Life review.
Track-Listing:
- Utopia
- Afterlife
- Hell Bent on Rampage
- Reign of Torture
- In Nomine Regis
- Dominion
- Worn Out Blood
- Endless Sorrow
Angel Rising is:
- Listenangel – guitar, bass, programmed drums, vocals
- M Fox – additional vocals
- Emma – clean female vocals
- Kevin Talley – drums
- Following the album release, a graphic novel, Asai and the Neon King, was created and helped understand the complex narrative structure of Immortal Volition. ↩︎
