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Atrae Materiae Monumentum is only the second full-length release by the Portugese Black Metal band Lex Ferre, and while it's an enjoyable listen, it's still got it's rough spots. There is no denying that this is still a strong effort with plenty of well structured songs, but in the same aspect the album has it's share of songs that really aren't anything too spectacular to listen to, often becoming a bit repetitive or are just rather boring to listen to. The only real major plus for this one is the band's ability to create a very dark atmosphere musically, and retain it through the whole release. But, there's one really huge redeeming factor to this release that makes it really shine. Unfortunately, Atrae Materiae Monumentum doesn't really start off on that good of a strong note. While there are a good number of solid and entertaining tracks on this release, "O Caminho" and "The Bell of Fate" really aren't as good as some of the other tracks to follow. These two wind up casting the album in a shade of repetition with guitars that often come off a bit generic and, in the case of "The Bell of Fate", a little drawn out. After the first one or two listens, they wind up losing much of their impact, leaving the listening wanting just a little more from the band. It isn't until the title track, "Atrae Materiae Monumentum" that the album begins to pick up, for lack of a better word, momentum. As the album progresses, many of the songs on here just become much better and stronger mostly thanks to the ambience that the band is able to give through the music. Atrae Materiae Monumentum winds up having a very dark atmosphere to it, mostly through the guitars being played, and it's really the main draw to the release. The music itself is often impressive as well, which is the case of the track "Correntes". This is by far the best track off the release and really pushes the guitar work compared to the other songs, setting a tone like none of the other tracks on here can accomplish, outside of coming close with "Thirst for Despair", another hard hitting track that features some excellent guitar work. Another track on this release that will have you coming back for more is the closing track, "Dormente", which is really unlike any other track on here without violating the flow of the album. It moves as a slower song with some great guitar work as well, but it's the drumming that really makes the song so well thanks to it's well paced double bass and cymbols that often give this song a somewhat epic sound. The track "Breu" is another song that isn't anything too spectacular, as it is a song that really seems like material already present on this album. The only difference with this song is that the bass really works nicely for the song and acts as a suitable replacement for keyboards on the album. The bass really does play a pivotol role with this CD, clearly, thanks to the recording quality, as well as how it is played. The performance on this album is amazing. Each song is played with the same amount of energy as the last, and really never really let's up. The bass, however, it's on a level of it's own. THis is easily one of the most looked over instruments, and while it doesn't violate from the traditional concept of playing what the guitar plays, it does it but at a different spectrum by playing the notes differently to create a seperate tone all together from the guitars in a manner that would sound almost as if they were playing a keyboard during many of the songs, especially in the bridges. While Atrae Materiae Monumentum does have it's share of songs on here that will lose their sparkle after a few songs, there's no denying that the band really excells at making this release stand out through their composition skills. Lux Ferre clearly had a great idea for this album, and for the most part it succeeded and shows great talent within the ranks. While this is not really album of the year material, it is very deserving of your time and money. Hopefully the band will continue to expand on the sound that they present on this release, as it's clear the band still has more growing and exploration to do. But for now, this release is a suitable progression from their debut album, and a release that will clearly make Lux Ferre an act to keep your eye on. |
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