Thursday 8 August 2013

Eibon la Furies - The Immoral Compass (2013)


The Immoral Compass by British band Eibon la Furies opens with a brooding mixture of bass and drums that builds to a moment of suspense... then it fades out and the first song proper starts in a completely unrelated manner. So much for the intro, but what are the songs like?

First song, Immoral Compass to the World, has a stuttering, progressive feel to it, with moments of trippy madness and furious guitar work, meandering through melodies and vocals like a snake entwining a column of sound.

Astronomy in Absences begins with ambient sounds that make me feel like I'm floating on a lake, and that's no bad thing, before launching into a prog-black metal dirge reminiscent of Prometheus by Emperor.

Flames 1918 provides a gentle moment amongst the fury and sounds like a mixture of Ancient Rites and Cradle of Filth (certainly with regard to the vocals) and has fantastic drumming, courtesy of James 'Battalion' Batt that add drama and tension to the delicate piano melody.

There are some great riffs, particularly on An Enigma in Space and Time and The End of Everything, but these are sparse, and songs are dominated by more ethereal elements and lead guitar.

Paul D. 'Lord Eibon' Sims provides excellent vocals that are used appropriately, adding bite where needed. There are some excellent progressive moments with stuttering guitars and call-and-answer play between music and vocals. The Iron Maiden-like solos are gripping and not boring, although they do all seem to be similar. Not to be missed by fans of Arcturus!

 The Immoral Compass is out now on Code666 Records.

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