The Pitch: Unsigned and ugly technical black metal from Alaska.
What I Like: I'm enjoying the sudden pace and tone changes on this album. The faster moments, with their ugly/croaky vocals remind me a lot of both Absu and Dendritic Arbor. Of course with those comparisons comes some heavy praise for the drumming, which is all over the place and sounds like it was recorded live. Ripping riffs. I also dig how the deep death vocals are only used sparingly enough to really leave a crater at key moments.
What I Don't Like: The production could use a little tweaking. I like that it remains a bit rough, but it still needs a small boost, perhaps even just a touch on the bass levels.
The Verdict: Arria Paetus is a delightfully organic and technical bit of black metal from the North. I'd like to hear them play with their recording sound a bit more and tighten a few bolts, but this seems like the beginning of another band you should keep on your radar.
Flight's Fav's: "Slash Your Flesh...," "The Entropic Hive," "Into The Turnagain Bore"