Atrox
Contentum

A long journey into the impenetrable minds of six geniuses, this is how you could comment on the entire discography of Atrox, a Norwegian band that today represents one of the spearheads in the realm of avant-garde metal.

Born 18 years ago in Trondheim, Norway, and after numerous line-up changes, as well as genre shifts (moving from a technical gothic/death metal to avant-garde), they only made their debut in 1997, after four demos, with the album titled "Mesmerised", a well-played and produced album, though still somewhat immature musically. However, the big step came with the next album, "Contentum" in 2000, which presented the world with a band so unique in sound as to be considered nearly unparalleled, where each member found their space to best express themselves technically, but also from a compositional point of view.

Already from the first listen of this "Contentum", it is noticeable how the proposal of these Norwegians is quite atypical: continuous tempo changes, layers of double bass, guitars and bass frequently engaging in extremely complex solos, and above all, a singer, Monica Edvardsen, capable of weaving haunting and hallucinatory vocal lines, sometimes reaching very high notes (almost whistles), sometimes lower, all carried out with a theatricality I haven't encountered in any other singer so far. Musically, the platter is quite compact, although it contains numerous instrumental diversions that, unlike other bands, further enrich an already well-endowed sound; the compositions are all, or almost all, built on cold and sad, almost autumnal atmospheres, although moments of more schizophrenic nature occasionally appear, where a desire to change direction towards sunnier shores is evident, such as in the ample six minutes of the opening track "Sultry Air", arguably the least melancholic song in the album, along with "Lizard Dance".

On the other hand, we find tracks laden with tension such as the second "Unsummoned", desperate in its very slow pace, on which Monica's tormented voice perfectly rests, leaving behind the chameleon-like lines typical of her singing, in favor of an interpretation more focused on the emotional side of the music. Again, on these coordinates stands "Letters To Earth", splendid as a black gem, where our musicians leave no room for thoughts of freedom, crafting a claustrophobic piece that is absolutely "closed" and leaves no respite. Naturally, in this journey, there are also more "mannered" pieces or otherwise less atypical, such as "Panta Rei (Gather In Me No More)", a long 10-minute suite, closer to progressive than to the schizoid avant-garde encountered so far, playing on rhythmic and atmospheric changes, mostly exploiting the length, or even "Ignoramus", the most easy-listening track (although talking about easy listening seems quite daring) of the entire LP.

Technically, the album presents particularly complex structures as mentioned, and the musicians all demonstrate outstanding technical preparation without fear of stumbling into unnecessary exhibitionism, thanks to enviable songwriting. That being said, the maturity is there, the originality as well, the work is produced with great professionalism. Now it's up to you to give it a chance, knowing that it is definitely not an album for everyone and that it requires particularly long time to be assimilated (it took me something like two years to understand it... but then again, I'm a slowpoke so my case doesn't count), but when it gets under your skin, you'll realize you have in your hands something unique and invaluable.