Members prove themselves more than capable...
Having already made a name for himself from the bands that he is in or has been in, B.S.T. once again brings you yet another new project, this time an all-star projects of sorts, pulling in ex-
Aborted band mate, Daniel Wilding on drums and also James Mcllroy (Cradle of
Filth) on guitars and Peter Benjamin (
Akercocke) on bass.
While one who is fan of
Balrog can tell instantly the influences from
Balrog on the music on TOoA, the death metal influences are clear. The songs are less speedy and B.S.T. takes his vocals a notch lower than usual. The execution of the instruments on the album are extremely well done (don't let having a guitarist from CoF fool you) as each of the members prove themselves more than capable to be a part of this project, in particular David Wilding who manages to pull off numerously impossibly precise drum rolls and the constant blasting that lasts the entire run of the album. While the palm muted guitar riffs are heavy and backed by memorable tremolo picked ones, it is unfortunate that James hardly has time to shine as there are hardly lead solo spots present throughout the album. The solos on songs such as Fifth while not shreddy was tasteful though, a sneak peek to the talent that is hiddand underused in this album.
TOoA also makes use of their songwriting to create an impact on the listener through having most songs end like a cliffhanger, where the song seems to end one riff less than what a listener might expect from a typical song, and to good effect as it throws the listener to the next track of chaos while least expected. Having White
Dust end by fading out left me pretty disappointed though. The quiet moment on the album (besides the intro), Ex-Voto is a 4 minute ambient track that constantly threatens to jump into the next track but at the last moment recedes, keeping the listener on the edge and preparing him for the final 5 minutes of onslaught.
The band also makes use of more than one language to spread the message on their album more effectively, such as German on Ich Bin Das Licht. One other thing that black metal fans may want to take note is how the band decides to spread their messages in an unconventional way than their counterparts. Don't be fooled by the "themes" as shown on their MA page: instead of singing about the denouncement of Christianity and the hailing of Satanism, TOoA chooses to focus on the presence of a
God as evident in their song titles and song lyrics.
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