Album Review

Aria- As If Forever Really Exists

Aria is a metalcore band from Charlotte, North Carolina. This album was released in 2002 on Tribunal Records. Paul Genet who was the former vocalist for Azazel is now the current vocalist for Aria. This record is also very original sounding and that is really hard to find these days. Paul Genet's vocals are just sickening and could peel the paint right off any wall. The melodic death metal guitar leads fit perfectly if you could marry good to evil on a metalcore album. The shrill vocals next to the beautiful buzzing guitars fit perfectly. Hardcore breakdowns are present very frequently and really keep this album moving. Paul Genet uses death metal growls to perfection and the drums are just all over the place and they are simply brutal. This album has a real and complete flow to it and the melodies are gorgeous. This music is epic and filled with surprises at every corner. The vocals are just demonic sounding and they are here to frighten you like a horror movie. The drumming doesn't let up for a second like it's firing on all cylinders. This album is done so well. It must not have been easy to combine elements from hardcore, metalcore, death metal. Aria sound like they are having so much fun making this record. The vocals are just maniacal and he sounds like a crazed madman. I love these off kilter rhythms that the band uses that I can't get enough of. They are so strange sounding and they totally go with the rest of the music. This band is so confident sounding in the way they play their music. It is like they are seasoned veterans when playing this style of metalcore. I think this is because Paul Genet used to sing for Azazel and now he sings for Aria. I believe this has given them real veteran leadership from one of the best singers in metalcore. The wailing vocals meeting the heavy breakdowns was just a perfectly placed section of music. These fast paced sections fit really well with the overall feel of the music. The guitar leads are done to perfection and sound like they could come from Sweden. Aria are from the hardcore scene and they play metalcore so there is no doubt that they are from North Carolina. I have reviewed Azazel for my webzine and talked about how amazing and how essential they are. Now I have reviewed Aria for my webzine and I want to tell how amazing and how essential they are as well. I would say you need to have both bands because they both have the same singer. The truth is right now I want you to listen to Aria. This is a classic album like no other because it's a very original sounding metalcore album and that is hard to find these days. I think fans of hardcore, metalcore, death metal would all be fans of this album because it borrows from all of these genres of music. If you like my review of Aria please check out my review of Azazel.  Thanks.
​Kevin

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