Aquilla
Mankind's Odyssey
Ossuary Records
Aquilla was founded in 2015 in Warsaw. The band has released several EPs since then. Mankind's Odyssey is their debut album, released in 2022 by Ossuary Records.
Aquilla appears to me as a purely heavy metal band. This term refers here to songs with fast metal riffs, sometimes almost speed metal. The band plays some explosive riffs with nicely polished sound, and they do not forget about the essence of what heavy metal is, which are melodic guitars and vocals where singer hits different registers in his voice. Choirs, choruses and melodic vocal lines fit genuinely in most of songs, I like it in tracks Pathfinder, Intersection... There are also heavier arrangements in one or two songs, and those ones that do not remind that much about Helloween or Hammerfall, sometimes remind me of Sabaton (song Rapt in Darkness). Guitar shreds (Zero (2021)) is a domain of this album, galloping rhythms are known since the beginning of heavy metal (Judas Priest, Iron Maiden), which, of course, is also nice to hear in music of Aquilla too (Arrival). I also think that soft song played on synthesizers (New Dawn Of Avadera) builds atmosphere for the album, it is more like a sci-fi or fantasy piece, not a metal song.
Aquilla has a solid rhythm section and imaginative guitarists who play well-thought-out solos. I like lyrical content of the album – basically, the clue what it is about is the title of the album and opening intro Echoes of the Past.
What I concluded after listening to the songs (I have already done it twice) is that the band plays and base their ideas on classic heavy metal, and they do not force themselves to play catchy songs ( if it happens, it comes out naturally, just like in song titled Scarlet Skies). They surely do not play complex riffs, which is good news because you can sing some lyrics along with the band. The album is likeable because of its natural heavy metal spirit (Saviors of the Universe). Guitarists do a solid job playing heavy chords, and English lyrics with a Polish accent sound fine for me. Dynamics, musical ideas and honesty of this album convinced me to their music. Performance of songs by band members is pretty ordinary, but frankly, those guys know how to play heavy metal songs and how to catch my attention.
Aquilla appears to me as a purely heavy metal band. This term refers here to songs with fast metal riffs, sometimes almost speed metal. The band plays some explosive riffs with nicely polished sound, and they do not forget about the essence of what heavy metal is, which are melodic guitars and vocals where singer hits different registers in his voice. Choirs, choruses and melodic vocal lines fit genuinely in most of songs, I like it in tracks Pathfinder, Intersection... There are also heavier arrangements in one or two songs, and those ones that do not remind that much about Helloween or Hammerfall, sometimes remind me of Sabaton (song Rapt in Darkness). Guitar shreds (Zero (2021)) is a domain of this album, galloping rhythms are known since the beginning of heavy metal (Judas Priest, Iron Maiden), which, of course, is also nice to hear in music of Aquilla too (Arrival). I also think that soft song played on synthesizers (New Dawn Of Avadera) builds atmosphere for the album, it is more like a sci-fi or fantasy piece, not a metal song.
Aquilla has a solid rhythm section and imaginative guitarists who play well-thought-out solos. I like lyrical content of the album – basically, the clue what it is about is the title of the album and opening intro Echoes of the Past.
What I concluded after listening to the songs (I have already done it twice) is that the band plays and base their ideas on classic heavy metal, and they do not force themselves to play catchy songs ( if it happens, it comes out naturally, just like in song titled Scarlet Skies). They surely do not play complex riffs, which is good news because you can sing some lyrics along with the band. The album is likeable because of its natural heavy metal spirit (Saviors of the Universe). Guitarists do a solid job playing heavy chords, and English lyrics with a Polish accent sound fine for me. Dynamics, musical ideas and honesty of this album convinced me to their music. Performance of songs by band members is pretty ordinary, but frankly, those guys know how to play heavy metal songs and how to catch my attention.
Tracklist:
1 Echoes of the Past
2 Arrival
3 Pathfinder
4 Scarlet Skies
5 The Awakening
6 Rapt in Darkness
7 Intersection
8 Saviors of the Universe
9 New Dawn of Evadera
10 Zero (2021)
1 Echoes of the Past
2 Arrival
3 Pathfinder
4 Scarlet Skies
5 The Awakening
6 Rapt in Darkness
7 Intersection
8 Saviors of the Universe
9 New Dawn of Evadera
10 Zero (2021)
Review by Slawek Migacz
Added: 07.04.2022
Added: 07.04.2022