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Review:
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The French certainly love their symphonic speed metal
– Fairyland, Kerion, Wildpath, etc. Auspex was founded back
in 2001, and this is their debut full length CD. Elodie
Buchonnet has got a powerful, versatile voice, which easily
rises above the music. After the intro, there are eight
epics on this album, full of great singing, choirs, spoken
orations, guitar and synthesizer solos, instrumental passages,
and real diversity as they move from light to heavy. There
is more packed into one song than most bands manage in a
whole album. They are really absorbing and fascinating to
listen to, something new, different, and delightful is always
just around the corner. Highlights include ‘Theatre of Pain’,
the lovely melody of ‘Mysteries of Stars’, ‘Celestia’, and
the closing 10 minute epic ‘Rise’. Excellent production,
real variety and skilled drumming means that they avoid
the overuse of tiresome double bass drum pounding that obliterates
the music of some of their peers. The musicianship is outstanding,
especially Frederic Hugenell’s lightning drumming, and Pierre
Yves Brun’s use of synths, piano, organ and harpsichord.
This is a must for fans not only of bands like Rhapsody
and Fairyland, but, thanks to that diversity, to fans of
symphonic metal in general. Available on their Myspace site,
http://www.myspace.com/auspexmusic
8.5 out of 10
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