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Estuary - To Exist and Endure


*
=Staff's pick

To Exist...
Soul Scarred Captives*
Draining The Debtor
Of Weakening Stone
Woven Denial
The Evershielding*
Flesh And Blood Dilemma
Silence And Mind
Riding The Tides Of Malice*
...To Endure


Genre Death Metal
Zdenka Prado
Vocals
Tracks 10
Ash Thomas
Guitar
Runningtime 42 Min.
Brad Howard
Guitar
Label Ibex Moon Records
Steve Eberl
Bass
Release 18 June 2004
Jesse Wilson
Drums
Country USA
-
Keyboards
Similar artists Dissection, Dark Tranquillity, Desultory, Carcass

From the ash of Ohio based Estuary of Calamity comes Estuary a brutal, intense soul scarred thrashing death band with vicious female vocals. Zdenka Prado is no stranger to the garden of shadows. She has been bellowing in baritone for over a decade now, way before Arch Enemy opted for a feccid femme fatale. Zdenka echoes the sonic storming screams of Corinne van der Brand from Acrostichon or Netherland country companions Mystic Charm's Rein. She is evershielding her feminie persuasion to evoke the essence of the flesh and blood dilemma. If you love brutal vocals, you need to hear her deplatory dirge. Guitarist and founder Ash Thomas also does his share of participating in the carnage, descanting the insalubrious with his best Bill Steer impression; although I am often even reminded of the crushing vocals from Denis Geestman the dubbed forswearer from Phlebotomized. The incredible talent of this band truly will drain the debtor. Ash is quite accomplished on his guitar playing in the classic Swedish death tone with hints of vintage Dissection or Dark Tranquillity in the early 90's. Also on guitar is Brad Howard, who when harmonizing with Ash plays persistent luminous leads. Jesse Wilson's drums are crushing and totally thrashing like Scott Travis meets Paul Bostoph. Each song on the CD gracefully articulates it's own architectual design of silence and mind.

The CD begins with a brief intro aptly titled To Exist, then just explodes into Soul Scarred Captives caustically penned by Ms. Prado. The lyrical lullabies for this CD, mangle the manger and cast aspersion on creation with the most poetically personified point of view. Draining the Debtor, another execrated excretion, explicates, "Abiding by the molded form, proclaims an eternal covenant, our soul's essence to linger and remain spoken with virtue". These gnostic accolades unfold even more on Woven Denial which begins brutal and slow, then instantly intensifies into serious shredding with ripping rendition. Again Ash just picks pixilated while Zdenka devours the microphone in utter dismal euphony. The Evershielding and Riding the Tides of Malice, both taken from their self released 2002 demo, are two of my favorite slices of die with their mega melodic edge reminiscient of the Desultory arrangements of Into Eternity. Evil Ash accentuates, "I must write in spiritual form, and pass my experience through the centuries. What is learned today will be the rules of tomorrow." Then the CD fades out with the sanguine suggestion, To Endure.

Estuary are indeed influenced by an argosy of European bands from every milieu of metal; yet they are from Ohio. They are from my home city, Cincinnati, and yes I have known Ash and the others for a while, now; but I just heard this CD four days ago. My own brother even designed their logo. Estuary just returned from a tour in Europe where they were welcomed willingly. I had not seen Ash since the sentencing of his his foregoing, but not forgotten callow calamity. I really enjoyed Estuary of Calamity since they had keyboards and even folk elements in their sound. Estuary is much more brazen and bare, stripped of all keyboard calisthenics. As I begin to divest the dearth of this 'novus aestuarium ingenium', I exhord you to consider likewise. Estuary has existed and endured unheard in the storm, and now it's time for them to ascend, and repudiate the woven denial for "a lasting scar will always be...the reminder of lost years and our lasting mistakes.".

Production
Vocals
Compositions

7

8

7

 
Summary



7,5 chalices of 10 - Michael the MettleAngel

Related links:

www.estuarymetal.com