Velnias - Scion of Aether

Angry Metal Guy 80

“Oppressive Rocky Mountain Dirge.” That is the descriptor Velnias uses to describe its music. Sounding more like the slop at the bottom of a bucket than something you would want to spend your time listening to, it nevertheless proves that occasionally we all need to update our bios. While “dirge” may have been Velnias‘s original aesthetic when it released its debut, Sovereign Nocturnal, in 2008, the band’s output has evolved considerably since then to incorporate an array of new and different influences. Now it’s back with its third album, Scion of Aether. Rather than being oppressive, the sound here is as expansive as the Rocky Mountains these Colorado natives call home. The engine of Velnias’s sound is a thundering, mid-paced doom, but a peak beneath the hood reveals parts consisting of progressive metal, sludge, and post metal, complemented by paint-stripping vocals reminiscent of Isis’s Aaron Turner. That isn’t where the similarity ends. While both bands are extremely heavy when necessary, their aim is more on taking you on a musical journey than crushing you beneath relentless riffs. Importantly, both bands have stories to tell, and in this instance, Velnias’s one is hugely compelling. Does “oppressive dirge” still apply to these guys?

Scion of Aether is essentially four epic tracks, buffered by two short instrumental passages, covering 51 minutes. While each track is long, they contain more than enough ideas to justify their length. Each has an underlying theme which the band spends time methodically unpacking and exploring, taking interesting – but never irrelevant – detours along the way. Second track, “Pariah of the Infinite” starts quietly, but very quickly explodes with an absolutely massive wall of sound, driven by catchy melodies and riffs. It’s epic, but held together with enough variations (black metal-esque blast beats, Explosion in the Sky-type instrumental frills) that it never wearies. Other tracks are marked by similar themes: “Aurora Rune” wouldn’t sound out of place on an Elder album, with a streak of progressive metal that elevates it from its standard doom influences. All the tracks are like this, exploring their ideas and influences without being shackled to them.

Scion of Aether by VELNIAS

Previous Velnias albums were justifiably criticized for being less than the sum of their parts; it occasionally felt that the songs were a bunch of good ideas somewhat haphazardly stitched together. Scion of Aether is a marked step up, providing each track, and the album as a whole, with a clear sense of identity. Rather than just jumping from one idea to the next, songs build logically and systematically, flavored by texture and an impressive control of dynamism. This is highlighted by the rapidly changing sound of “Supernal Emergent” or the slow burn of “Oblivion Horizon.” This variability and control results in satisfying tracks with huge replayability value.

There really aren’t a whole lot of downsides to Scion of Aether. While many will enjoy the adventurous nature of the tracks, there is a degree of repetition that is occasionally noticeable, particularly on “Aurora Rune,” where the core melody is perhaps not strong enough to carry a nearly 10 minute track on its shoulders. While the thunderous vocals add a feeling a enormity to the sound, you feel that there are times, particularly during the proggy bits of “Supernal Emergent,” when some cleans may have been even more compelling. Scion of Aether also just kind of peters out. Final song “Oblivion Eternal” is my second-favorite track of the whole album, but with seven minutes to go, it just devolves into a repetitive swirl of sludge and ambient noise. I get that it’s an epilogue of sorts, but Scion of Aether deserved better than ending on a whimper.

Overall, though, Velnias has come out of nowhere to deliver an incredibly powerful, progressive and adventurous album. While influences abound, the band has, for the first time its career, really stamped its authority on its music, forging a compelling path. Each song is vast and unique, and the sheer number of interesting ideas makes exploring Scion of Aether a lot of fun. Is it perfect? No. Are some tracks stronger than others? Sure. Does Velnias sometimes not know how to wrap up? Definitely. But the sheer enjoyment here kinda washes all those away. My head said 3.5, my heart said 4. I asked for 3.75. The bosses said “No.” So I replayed it another five times. Until I realized I was using the debate as an excuse to keep listening. That solved it.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: eisenton.de/label
Website: facebook.com/VelniasCult
Releases Worldwide: March 27th, 2020

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