Review Summary: Aeons in Stillness is the newest installment by Vishal Naidu of Fallen Letters band, one of the most prominent metal bands in India. This time Vishal explores the more acoustic side of his songwriting talent, nevertheless keeping the signature melodicism
Aeons in Stillness is the newest installment by Vishal Naidu of Fallen Letters band, one of the most prominent metal bands in India. This time Vishal explores the more acoustic side of his songwriting talent, nevertheless keeping the signature melodicism that his works are known for.
Overall, this is a predominantly guitar album built on the backbone of neofolk, full of string arrangements and with quite a limited rhythm section. Unsurprisingly (for the Fallen Letters fans at least), Aeons in Stillness does not exploit Eastern motives or culture musically but rather tends to create continuous soundscapes with a minimal set of tools.
Vishal dedicates this work to contemplating nature’s majesty and meditating on its harmony. This means using silence a lot, as well as samples of birds chirping, flowing streams, horses running, and generous reverberation.
Speaking more on the sound, the album is fully instrumental and acoustic, relying mostly on melodies as a storytelling device. Right off the bat, violins accompany the leading guitar, and probably cellos (I'm not sure), too. With the appearance of piano and various keys, this sounds like an album of Apocalyptica - if only Apocalyptica was actually good.
The sound quality is also brilliant, as expected, highlighting Vishal’s engineering talents. The postproduction really makes the record a gem. Adding up to the value of this release is the sleigh of contributing artists such as an aspiring British post-rocker Dan Caine, Australian acoustic blackers Beautiful Death, and Warg from northern Italy - a carefully picked global talent bandwagon seriously enhancing the diversity of the good old dark folk spectrum.
This is not Vishal’s first success, though. His debut album, Fragments of Serenity, was a groundbreaking release that garnered widespread acclaim, particularly for its masterful take on Neofolk genre. The album was a landmark moment for Vishal, showcasing the artist's ability to craft evocative and intricate compositions while captivating listeners worldwide.
This is the perfect time to release Aeons in Stillness as the global interest in Indian metal grows thanks to the cheeky (but quality) heavy bands - it gives the opportunity to promote and properly display the local artists who deserve the attention and fame due to their talent. Vishal’s work is the exact case, and Aeons in Stillness is hard to overestimate. Hell, I can’t even say there are filler tracks here at all, 45 minutes (!) of pure bleak joy.