Beekstraat 1 - B-2640 Mortsel - Belgium

DEGREE ABSOLUTE: Degree Absolute

Release

Style

Sometimes you have to be so extremely patient as musician, before getting any recognition or even before you can record an album! Just take this American multi instrumentalist Aaron Bell e.g. Since 1999 he had been working on his Degree Absolute project. In the meantime he was involved in various bands and projects as guitarist, bassist and vocalist. But finding musicians for his own music was not an easy job. When we hear the high technical degree of the music on this debut, I think we have found one of the reasons for that. Finally Aaron recorded everything himself on a demo and only then he started looking again for musicians and label, this time with success. At the beginning of 2006 the album is finished and released and the trio can be proud on their first effort. Nothing was left to chance, for we meet with Neil Kernon as producer. That man worked with bands like Queensryche, Nevermore, Spiral Architect, Kansas and Cannibal Corpse in the past.

America is the cradle of high technical skills in every genre. Going from technical death metal to unimpeachable progressive caprioles. No limits to skilfulness. However, Degree Absolute does not make the mistake of only focus themselves on amazing competency, but they only came out when their ideas were poured into accessible songs. That is a huge positive point of this album. In the inflammable ‘Exist’, immediately good for more than seven minutes of pleasure, things are mainly heavy. A mix of Annihilator and Fates Warning maybe? Anyway a blend of thrash, hardcore and very melodious metal. Especially guitar soloing is very beautiful and sensitive. Yet the melodies are that catchy that you keep on listening with excitement. A lot of rhythm changes and breaks in the next ‘Laughing Alone’ too. But Aaron can release his inspiration in calmer tracks too, such as the almost shy sung ‘Questions’ or the introvert apex ‘Confession’, offering us a marvellous solo. The three instrumental songs that are next, fortunately never lose their grip on you, probably because they are compact. The extensive ‘Ergo Sum’ is sung kind of complaining – you have to like Aaron’s voice, that’s true, eventually he started to sound too nasal for me – but it has so much beauty in its keyboard lines and guitars that we are not allowed to grumble. The hidden track is a distorted bass part, very doom. My favourites are opener ‘Exist’ (the metal freak in me), ‘Confession’ (my sentimental side) and ‘Ergo Sum’ (sublime construction in the first part and its lingering/drag along nature). This is recommended to every progressive metal fan who is fond of technical ability coupled with a lot of emotions and melody.

Musicians

Website in order to promote heavy-metal & hard-rock to a broader audience in Flanders but also in the entire world. No part from this website may be used in any other publication whether in print or on the world wide web without the editor's consent - all material is exclusive to Metal-Nose and copyright protected.

Last updated: 14/03/2006 .
All rights reserved. Copyright © Metal-Nose 20/05/2004.
www.metal-nose.org