![]() ![]() Aquila belongs to a close-knit group of "typical" eagles including genera Hieraaetus, Lophaetus, Ictinaetus and Clanga. 2 Those looking for music-induced transfixion can hardly find anything more beautiful or engaging 3.The genus Aquila was introduced by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760 with the golden eagle ( Aquila chrysaetos) as the type species. Those looking for beer metal can keep looking. But Bellum I is absolutely stunning as a musical piece in its own right, and does not simply ride the coattails of freshness without bringing its own quality. In a metal scene that frequently struggles with innovation, this alone stands him apart. Lots of records are described as “atmospheric” but few reach the platonic ideal of this word so closely.Īcross his two albums, Aquilus has successfully bridged realms in a way that they have not been bridged before 1. Even in the quieter passages, it has a menacing, oppressive edge. When the music floats, you fly alongside. Not cinematic because it sounds like a film score (although it does) rather, it’s akin to sitting in a theater with a vast screen in front and surround sound around. Bellum I dominates your whole attention and forces you into its world. It’s rich with instruments, rich with atmosphere, and rich with production values. The deep orchestral arrangements result in an incredibly rich experience. ![]() The piano occupies a position of special importance, as some of the most moving passages involve a piano with little or no other instrumentation. However, none are discordant, overwrought or intrusive. I won’t pretend to be remotely knowledgeable about classical music, but what I can say is that there is an incredible range of classical instruments used here. The pieces here are thoughtfully and precisely arranged, belying talent that goes further than simple melodies and harmonies. While there are plenty of cacophonous, intense moments, Rosenqvist’s songwriting and compositional skills feel much more restrained and deliberate. The record also generally eschews the bombastic excess of most others blending its two core genres. ![]() This is not black metal beefing up its key melodies with an orchestra these are compositions of the classical sort, which just happen to also wrap up heavy music. There is as much pure classical music here as there is black metal, though the two are frequently brazenly, often subtly, inter-woven to mesmerizing effect. It is one of the most harmonious unions of aesthetically disparate genres that I’ve heard a union of moody black metal and transcendental classical. Bellum I promises to be the first of a two-part release but does more than enough to stand alone as a majestic expression of Horace Rosenqvist’s solo vision.Īs with Griseus, it’s not enough to describe Bellum I as symphonic black metal. This brings us to December 2021 and its long-overdue sequel, a decade in the making. ![]() It is, in short, symphonic black metal, but is so much more than this implies. It is a wonderful, ethereal, expressive, other-worldly experience tied to the metal genre by its atmospheric, blackened qualities, but spending just as much time and energy on its classical ones. Griseus by Aquilus was the best metal album of the 2010s never reviewed by. ![]()
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