| Is "Alea" as world-shattering as "Back To Times of Splendor"? No. However, it is absolutely a return to form. While "Gloria" was an extremely brave move creatively, it really didn't pan out, specifically because of the industrial influence. "Alea" takes the aspects of Gloria that worked and melds them with some parts of Disillusion's earlier discography. The only aspect I regret is that the melodic death metal aspects of their sound that spanned from "Three Neuron Kings, through "The Porter" and culminating in "Back To Times of Splendor" have largely been shed. Having said that, they do maintain a broader metallic sound, and it definitely suits the material; it's just that this song has none of the passages of blistering headbanging that characterized songs like "In Vengeful Embrace" and "...And the Mirror Cracked." Still, what "Alea" does do well is, in this listener's humble opinion, the most important and defining aspect of Disillusion's best material: it flows like a sort of sonic story, taking you through everything from intimate passages to breathtaking musical peaks. |
