Review: Aeon Sable – 'Aequinoctium'

AEON SABLE 

'Aequinoctium' 

AF-MUSIC 

Nino and Din-Tah Aeon are a duo with a prolific workload. Less than a year after the band's second full-length album under the Aeon Sable moniker – and only a couple of months since the release of their latest Deied album 'Pulsetron' – and they're back with a new mini album. The latest release, 'Aequinoctium' , aims to continue the big leap forward they duo took with 'Saturn Return' last year and re-draw the gothic rock blueprint.

Kicking off with the middle-eastern rhythms of the intro, 'Aequinoctium', the band immediately throw something a bit different into the mix straight away to compliment their darker, Fields Of The Nephilim inspired leanings. Whereas the following track 'Tenfifteen' is a lighter offering that recalls the post-punk of Joy Division and the morose pop of 'First And Last And Always' era Sisters Of Mercy. 'Secret Flower' is a slow and rhythmic tracks that is more striped back and as such allows the unmistakable Aeon Sable vocal style to stand out at the front of the mix. 'Long Road Out Of Hell (Stormed)' then juxtaposes acoustic guitar with the light electric guitars and deep, grooving bass for a particularly lush sound that plays up the band's progressive edge. The final track 'Drawing Circles Square' continues the formula of the previous song, though the first half of the song is more of a straightforward airy gothic rock track, whereas the second makes good use of distortion to counterbalance the lightness of the rest of the song.

This is another fundamentally solid outing for Aeon Sable. One that sees their sound firmly established, but still shows they can play around with it. The production feels dark and cavernous, but not in a way that detracts from any of the instruments. It just has a natural sense of space, as though it was recorded in a dilapidated cathedral.

Even though this is a mini album, it does feel very well-rounded and a complete entity in it's own right. The band show a glimpse of what they're capable of here. It's just enough to hint at future directions while keeping long-time fans happy.  

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