InAeona – Force Rise the Sun (Prosthetic)
Thursday, 30th July 2015
Partially, but not totally, probably because they aren’t exactly the same, InAeona are filling the obvious gap left by Junius. As the Boston atmospheric metallers are taking their sweet time in coming up with a new full-length, they are being supplanted for the time being by another Boston band of equal value, which, obviously, is InAeona. The trio (comprised of vocalist/guitarist Bridge, bassist Dave, and drummer James) take a rather excellent stab at the ‘ole crossbreed of post-rock and metal, spruced up with expedient soundscapes, and, Bridge’s stirring vocals, giving their Force Rise the Sun debut full-length some measurable lift off.
As a trio, InAeona’s sound is remarkably vast. Rarely doesn’t it dip into the bland, remedial norms of post-metal, which says a lot about Bridge’s vocals, and her guitar work. Her vocals oscillate between spirited sing-for-alls (see: the excellent “Sun Moon,” which is probably the best song of the bunch) and well-toned cries (“Solider”). She’s practically the near-perfect antithesis to the dude/beard bellow that has often brought post-metal to its knees…and not in a good way. She proves to be just as versatile on the industrial-tinged “Never Forever,” a tune that if this were the mid-90s, would be an alternative rock radio staple.
Vast, voluminous, etc. etc., are potentially selling Force Rise the Sun short. It might be apt to call the album a “game changer,” if for its propensity to run the gamut from the aforementioned styles so effortlessly. And beyond that, lots of fun having to contend with Bridge’s vocals, who regularly pulls something new out of her (mysterious) hat across the album’s nine jams. So inasmuch as folks will want to stick InAeona in with their fellow Bostonians in Junius, it’s quite evident this is a band who should be an atmospheric force for years to come.
