So here comes As The World Dies with their brand new record Nebula, signing on as a part of the Reaper Entertainment roster. This is album #2 for the group. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to write about the debut Agonist, even though it made me a big, big fan of the boys. So today we hopefully make up for that, huh? From jump “Dark Oblivion” was the runaway favorite for me. The heaviness meets the evilness in a potent cocktail that is also dark and edgy. Sonically it reminds me of my tasty vodka shots on a Friday nite!
And for a total gear shift there’s “I Am the One”. I had no idea where we were headed, but around the 1:00 mark I had pushed my chips all in at the sonic poker table, so well done, gents. At around the halfway mark it just hits you with a flurry of sonic punches, making this another favorite. “Blind Destiny” is akin to The Thing’s description of meeting The Mole Man for the first time (IYKYK), and is a sonic hell that you probably won’t escape easily. Then of course we have the official opener in “Consumed,” which very much subscribes to the idea of ‘shoot first, ask questions later’.
There’s some inspiration drawn from Black Sabbath for “Playing God.” Whether that’s intentional or not is unknown, that’s just what these ears heard. Plus it clocks in at 7 mins plus, as does next track “Voices of Angels”, one of my go-to traits in darker metal tunes. “Under a Dying Sky” and “Final Resting Place” could not be more different at first glance…er, listen. But they fit together almost as seamlessly as salami and apples. And guess what? There’s a bonus track! Don’t care how old I get, I love a good bonus track, and “Consummation of Creation” simply slays.
Bottom line? As The World Dies did it again with this, their sophomore recording. I can only hope we get many, many more albums from these guys. I know they have many more stories to tell, so you can bet I’ll be waiting for the follow-up to Nebula.
Standout Tracks: “Consummation of Creation”, “Dark Oblivion”, “Blind Destiny”.