Pagan Hel Reviews..: Eschaton Hive - Eschaton Hive - 15 Track Album

Tuesday, 19 February 2013

Eschaton Hive - Eschaton Hive - 15 Track Album - Released 17th July 2012

Eschaton Hive

15 Track Album

Released 17^th July 2012

Eschaton Hive – Australia

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/EschatonHive

In Association with

https://www.facebook.com/JuggernautServices

Genre: Industrial/Metal/Experimental

Eschaton Hive is just as elusive as their faces under a stealth of rubber masks they adorn on stage. Even their names offer no clue as to who they really are? - Maybe they are some new or old race from a distant galaxy, who knows? But one thing is for sure, I just love the intrigue that surrounds them. With 15 tracks attached to this album you can tell that the band has put a lot of time and effort into making it and the production is just superb. The cover offers no explanation either! But all adds to the overwhelming secrecy of Eschaton Hive.

This short biography was taken from their Facebook page – so I will leave you to make up your own mind as to just what Eschaton Hive are all about – whilst I attempt to review this in more detail:

“We are the Eschaton Hive.

For years we have studied your civilisation and your history waiting for the right moment.

Your history will look back on these days as the beginning, the catalyst for what is to come.

You can’t escape the collective fate of your species you can only prepare.

Only as one of the Eschaton Hive, will you be prepared for the future we have designed.

It is time.

Time to join the Hive”

Immanentize the Eschaton

Dark and ominous the bubbling synths surge into life with some good sampled voices. The actual vocals are scathing and raw with a blinding and melodious rhythm that ploughs through the track like a hot knife through butter. The guitar is present through-out the track and really adds some “bounce” to the overall sound with copious amounts of distortion. The experimental element exists in abundance giving it an eerie mechanical feel.

Duck N Cover

Awesome rhythm on this with solid sampled voices with the usual monotone effect and the drumming is consistent and powerful. The little choppy synth sounds are most welcome to with the vocal content being caustic and brutal with more experimental elements creeping into it.

Eschatonation

Bubbling vibrant drum beat with blistering guitar work and more critical vocals all pull together creating this melting pot of industrial musicianship with its sampled voices hardly being heard over the array of busy sounds.

Deconstruction

Starts with sampled voice amid an amazing distorted guitar and loads of bubbling synthesiser's taking note that the bass playing is a big part of this track – vocals are derisive and consistent with the blur of biting experimental sounds.

The elusive Eschaton Hive - Live!

Warpz[o]ne

Deep pulsing tones begin on this track and a marching drum beat effect accompanies it. A bit lame though as it just wanders around aimlessly but at only 1.31 not, as bad for a filler track.

Pandemic

Sampled female voice warning of virus’s to a consistent drum beat and a dark but clean ominous vocal that is not as scathing as on the previous tracks. Experimental sounds are in abundance through-out the track and in keeping with the above throw out a busying array of incidental sounds.

Zombie Attack Plan

Haunting, powerful and melodic with superb vocals and frantic samples – great track! It conjures up mental images of zombies attacking and gives off that evil vibe with extreme ferocity.

Accept Your Life

Effervescent synth with a smattering of sampled voices – packed full of superb rhythms and melodies topped off with an intense abrasive vocal content. Another superb track! This would gain a lot of attention on a dance floor, as it simply forges ahead with its distorted guitar and bass hooks a plenty.

Delusions of Adequacy (World Famous)

Slow and more down tempo it contains a powerful rhythm and bludgeoning melodies then a deep bass line and a clean vocal starts with a more ska sort of feel to it but very cleverly incorporated in its plethora of building rhythms.

Want.Need.Have

A track about sex! Prostitutes and escorts Great use of samples and a scornful vocal with simplistic keys, driving guitar and outstanding bass hook! Really awesome track!

20 Million Guys

Loving the start of this track with its vibrant keys and mixed samples containing a deep abrasive vocal content although after this it loses a bit of momentum which is a shame indeed but could do with keeping the up tempo feel at the beginning as it sounds too much the same as some of the previous tracks.

...And Then til Now

Dark opening with spasmodic drum beat and incidental sounds but does not seem to reach its potential. It is a slow track that shows no purpose or direction and which is struggling somewhat to reach any conclusion.

Get Happy

Eerie opening with harsh sampled male voice however later in the track offers a scathing beat with superb biting and caustic rhythms.

I’m Ur Stalker

Some eye opening incidental sounds and a thunderous beat with ravaging guitar brings this track to the forefront. A couple of mixed male and female samples come and go and then a caustic vocal takes over. Another busy array of sounds, that flourishes to bring together another good track with superb rhythmical content.

Rebirth

More experimental sounds start up but fantastic guitar brings this track to life with a resounding quality and all the instruments working well together – it is both exciting and fierce with great experimental overtones – yet another good track.

To sum up:

Although not the usual Industrial type of sound I am used to it does have workable appeal and with 15 tracks there’s a lot to choose from. Accept your Life, and Want Need Have are two of my favourites from the album simply because they have a bit more depth than some of the other tracks and not so keen on the experimental as I think in some cases it detracts from the overall sound of the music. When there is an abundance of sounds coming at you from every corner of the speakers it can be a bit distracting, but overall this is a good listenable album.

7½/10

Track List:

Immanentize the Eschaton 04:18

Duck N Cover 03:39

Eschatonation 03:33

Deconstruction 03:37

Warpz[o]ne 01:31

Pandemic 03:27

Zombie Attack Plan 03:49

Accept Your Life 03:34

Delusions of Adequacy (World Famous) 03:18

Want.Need.Have 03:12