Search - Neaera :: The Rising Tide of Oblivion

Hail Neaera !

The Weapon They Fear | Brooklyn, New York | 06/06/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As I type this, I'm listening to Neaera's "Rising Tide of Oblivion." The musicianship is absolutely impeccable with Stephan Keller and Tobias Buck's razor-sharp guitar work, Benjamin Donath's deep, smoothly-executed bass lines, and the tight, flawlessly-brutal drumming of Sebastian Heldt. What impresses me the most is the sense of desperation and emotional delivery behind the unique metal voice of Benjamin Hilleke. This dynamic album is most impressive; specifically, the lyrics have an emotional and TRUTHFUL attachment to them which I personally love. Beautiful melodies mixed with metal-charged ferocity will keep all listening in awe, begging for more at the auditory assault unleashed by Neaera. There is not one track which doesn't annihilate the listener and sends shivers down one's spine. Standout tracks include: "Walls Instead of Bridges", "Hibernating Reason", and "The World Devourers." Andy Classen knew what he was doing when producing this masterpiece which is punchy, in-your-face, powerful, and simply, excellent. The metal world is rampant with varying styles and genres of intense, melodic, and dark music. Neaera has been unleashed and have proven with "Rising tide..." that they are fully capable of proudly performing alongside heavyweights such as Impious, Krisiun, Deicide, Heaven Shall Burn, among many more ultra-tight bands. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Neaera is a force that cannot be stopped."

Good, but still generic metal core.

W. Koah | 05/22/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Too be honest, in my opinion, the whole metal core scene is getting extremely boring and cliche. Every band is sounding the same with their melodic Swedish metal riffs and breakdowns. This band however is at the top of this played out genre. If theres a perfect example of this genre at its best, this band is it. The vocals are one of the strong points on the album, which is kind of surprising for this genre. The singer has a nice scream and you can tell theres actually some emotion behind his lyrics, one thing a lot of acts today are lacking. He also has some good range as well (think Black Dahlia Murder style). The instruments are pretty good and you can tell the members are talented somewhat, but nothing really stands out compared to other artists, they're good and get the job done. They do have some creative breakdowns that sound similar to stuff Unearth put out. Other than those, expect fast razorsharp shredding and endless double bass. The production is also quite nice for this album and it sounds beautiful. So in the end, this album still got a faily decent rating from me. They are this genre at it's best. If you're a fan of bands like The Black Dahlia Murder, Dark Tranquillity, Arsis, or Unearth..then definately check them out!"

The tides have risen

Murat Batmaz | Istanbul, Turkey | 03/15/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Neaera was formed by the guitarist of death/grind metal band Malzan in 2003, when Tobias Buck wanted to explore more melodic songwriting with polished production and The Black Dahlia Murder type of scream vocals. The Rising Tide of Oblivion is their debut album and it successfully realizes Buck's intentions.



The album is driven by the dual lead guitar works of Tobias Buck and Stefan Keller, who often harmonise with each other producing delicate textures with a lot of breakdowns. Far from the typical single-minded aggression of most metalcore bands, Neaera utilises both clean and scream vocals by Benny Hilleke who also does some serious deep growls. Starting with the highly melodic "The World Devourers", an energetic piece littered with fast drumming, the song highlights Hilleke's screechy vocals that then turn into smooth clean harmonies. The breakdown towards the end suggests Neaera is different from its contemporaries. They stand head and shoulders above in the crowd, as they know how to incorporate strong, hook-laden passages in their music, retaining their Swedish melodicism inherited by the likes of At the Gates and Dark Tranquillity. The big, epic opening of "Anthem of Despair" features low guttural vocals that belie the fact that it's the same guy doing those toxic screams on the more metalcore-infused "Walls Instead of Bridges". With "Where Submission Reigns", the band returns to its Dark Tranquillity style galloping riffs with searing vocals, much more similar to Carcass than the band's Swedish influences. After a brief acoustic instrumental with some cello and violin sounds, they start war on "...To Oblivion", perhaps their heaviest moment on the album, before calming things down with a beautifully composed melodic outro.



Claus Ulka from Misery Speaks guests on "Definition of Love", another stand-out track. The band's love for metalcore particularly shows in the second half, especially on tunes like "Hibernating Reason" and "No Coming Home", with perhaps a bit too excessive screaming. Thankfully, the latter also features a slow, ethereal twin guitar harmony at the end. The album concludes with another acoustic intro, much like the sixth track, except that the cello plays a more prominent role this time.



Though anyone who's into Swedish death metal and the more popular stuff of bands like The Black Dahlia Murder might think Neaera is cliché and obtuse, I beg to differ. It's the way they weave melodic songwriting with electrifying guitar work that gives them an extra edge, though repeat listens may be necessary."