Areis - 2025 - The Calling

(38:35; M&O Music)






















Track list:
1. Shattered Lands 4:17
2. Forgotten Sun 3:57
3. Rise From the Ruins 3:40
4. We Are 5:14
5. Lavender Turned into Ashes 2:21
6. How Far 5:46
7. Primordio Solis 2:47
8. Behind the Gate 3:20
9. D'ocre et de sang 3:36
10. The Calling 3:37

Line-up:
Paul Gonzalvez - vocals, guitars
Michael Jarrie - vocals, bass
Pablo Malbec - guitars
Antoine Dineur - drums


French band Areis was formed back in 2019 or thereabouts, and one year later they signed with Italian label Wormholedeath for the release of their self-titled debut album. Since then the band have moved back home, so to speak, and have signed with French label M&O Music for the release of their second studio production "The Calling".

I guess that this is a band that many will file somewhere inside of the extreme metal category, as these guys opt to include quite a few elements from this tradition into the landscapes they explore. But this isn't a purebred extreme metal venture, but rather a slightly more eclectic and inclusive band that makes use of some extreme metal details among elements from quite a few additional traditions. In many was a band I'd describe as being contemporary sounding.

Riffs and rhythms will gladly and happily skip between heavy metal, thrash metal and extreme metal here, arguably with the majority being somewhere between the first two of these, with moods, atmospheres and melodies having an often very distinct sound: Hard, powerful and often majestic, but with a bit of a melancholic gentler harmony sound being a recurring element. And while I do refer to three types of metal as the main ones for the band, they do add a bit of doom metal, power metal and alternative metal to the mix too. As well as a little bit of a hardcore influx, and some elegant, melodic constructions that strikes me as possibly being inspired by the post-rock tradition. That we get a token left turn into a more delicate landscape that is much closer to the music of an artist such as Rome (Jerome Reuter) is a detail that perhaps merits a mention too. If not for any other reason than to say something about the versatility of this band.

The often aggro vocals come with the most clear cut hardcore presence in these escapades. Aggro as in inspired by rather than exploring this vocal tradition though, and with a singer able and willing to add some more clear cut emotional modes of delivery to his vocal style to boot. Which works very well indeed in the tight, hard and powerful escapades we get to enjoy here.

I find plenty to enjoy in the landscapes that Areis have crafted on this occasion, with a balance between being hard, powerful, majestic and melodic that is quite the alluring blend as far as my own taste in music is concerned. Those who enjoy a more inclusive variety of contemporary metal with some extreme metal components and a sophisticated edge applied to the approach and execution of the compositions should find plenty to enjoy on this most solid and at times brilliant album.

Olav M. Björnsen, April 2025

Links:
https://www.areis.fr/
https://www.m-o-music.com/

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