Album Review: ATER – Somber (Torque Records)

Carl Fisher 2 min read

Chile-based extreme metal three-piece, ATER, will release their brand-new album ‘Somber’ on April 19th, 2024, via Torque Records.

Grim. That is the first word that comes to mind upon hearing the opening track on this album, Striges. A beast of a track that showcases the layers of black, death, and progressive metal that exists in this album and all within a two-minute and thirty-three second runtime. If that doesn’t make the hairs on your neck stand up, nothing will.

It is just the first blow delivered by ATER though and this album has many more pulverising hits to offer.

Speed is just one aspect of the following Descending that will make you curl up in fear. Another is the thickness of the guitars, ATER giving off serious Meshuggah vibes with their technicalities, but also sounding blacker then the darkest pits of hell, thanks to the garish vocals. Then along comes the title track to make that previous track seem ‘soft’ by comparison. The drums alone do lasting damage, but the metal magic that is coming from the guitars is startling. If you love grim sounding heaviness with progressive depth, this track will be your jam.

Interestingly, things just seem to get more and more expansive from this point too. First, with the sinister tone of Through the Portal. Followed then by the blackened fury of Ignis Immortalis. Before Shrine sees ATER deliver a masterclass in progressive brutality, while also having some effective atmospheric melody, and Sæculi Fine has guitars that will give you a serious level of ‘gurn’ on your face.

This series of tracks are easily the finest run on the album, and an incontrovertible showcase of what ATER do and do so well. Is it done though? Not quite as the album closes out with a short piece of haunting and memorable ambience in the form of Solitude. An apt title as it goes.

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ATER – Somber Track Listing:

1. Striges
2. Descending
3. Somber
4. Through The Portal
5. Ignis Immortalis
6. Shrine
7. Sæculi Fine
8. Solitude




Links

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ATER - Somber (Torque Records)
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