Amidst a scene riddled with assholes (I should know being one of them), Dan Ozcanli is one of the legit good guys within the Chicago metal underground. Though he’s probably best known for his work with tech death savants Nucleus, he’s also made a name for himself with black metallers Lurid (“Yeah breh?”) and if you were lucky enough, Special Delivery (if you know, you know). Having traversed the scene for as long as he has, it was only a matter of time before the inevitable solo foray, which is what we’re reviewing today in all its blackened glory.
Aetos, the self titled debut EP from Ozcanli’s new solo vehicle, is a 4 song outing that defies the conventions of black metal itself, all while still retaining the genre’s frostbitten spirit. Within are flashes of homage to the gods of yesteryear, while simultaneously remaining fresh, bold, and most importantly, unpredictable. Whereas Lurid sticks to tried and true textbook black metal, Aetos isn’t afraid to fuse it with shades of thrash, melodic death, traditional metal, and, wait for it, shred, the latter of which heavily constitutes the backbone of this release.
The opening “Skies Beyond” boasts a strong ’90s melodic black metal aura akin to Dissection and Sacramentum, an aesthetic that has been making quite the comeback in recent years. That’s all fine and good, until we get to the ripping shred-fest of a solo, which can best be described as a cross between Alexi Laiho (rest in power) and Racer X era Paul Gilbert. Yes, I really just drew a comparison to Racer X in a black metal review. Sue me. As absurd as this combination sounds on paper, it works, creating a sound that’s truly singular. Anyone familiar with Nuclus knows Ozcanli is no slouch on the six string. With Aetos, he’s able to run wild, or rather “fly free”, as the band moniker itself is “Eagle” in Greek.
“Rampant Waters” screams early Emperor with its ominous riffs and dramatic arrangement, minus the symphonic pretenses. The composition itself boasts plenty twists and turns, and the leads are yet again ripping. “Nightmare” can best be described as melodic blackened speed, going nonstop from start to finish with little room to breathe. The solo on this one borders on Vinnie Vincent levels of absurdity, and I mean that as the utmost compliment. Rounding it all out is the largely instrumental “Return to the Present”. This closing suite bombards us with one last assault of mystifying riffs and dizzying solos, including a guest solo from VoidCeremony guitarist, Wandering Mind.
Those who like their metal to be of a technical disposition and higher intellectual plane will be wildly surprised by Aetos. It sandwiches an album’s worth of musical exploration into the course of a little over 20 minutes, and naturally at that. Unlike most Bandcamp one man metal efforts, it’s far from a forced musical wank-fest, flowing with precision and ease. Brothermen and brotherwomen of the Windy City and beyond take heed; the Aetos is flying undead and free! Can I get a, “Eheheheheheheheheh!”?!
7 out of 10
Label: Independent
Genre: Black Metal
For fans of: Children of Bodom, Sacramentum, Emperor