2020 saw the rise of an exciting new EP by Canadian oddball tech death outfit Atrae Bilis, entitled Divinihility. While that record carved deep grooves into the earth, forming a tight network of twisting channels into which the band planted their roots, the wrangled tangle of barbed vines that sprung out of debut LP Apexapien exhibited more dissonant and atmospheric traits than I anticipated. It wasn’t a direction I would’ve preferred Atrae Bilis to take, but there’s no denying now that it was the smartest move. The band’s signature gnarled expulsions kept me intrigued enough that I eagerly snapped up sophomore full length Aumicide for my warped death fix.
If Apexapien took what was great about Divinihility and fragmented it into something uncanny and alien, then Aumicide took Apexapien as inspiration, dissected it once more, and reimagined its constituent elements into a design even more mangled and unnerving. That’s not to say that Atrae Bilis carelessly hacked apart and stitched together their creations without consideration. In fact, Aumicide is meticulously conceived and immaculately fastened together (“Inward to Abraxas,” “Monolith Aflame”). Staggered riff patterns and jagged grooves sync together despite their short-lived spans. Ideas disperse as quickly as they appear, or they reprise themselves at odd intervals and unexpected junctures (“Hell Simulation,” “To Snuff the Spirit Guides”). Somehow, the parts and pieces of the whole find an unlikely unity, a counterintuitive sense of flow across a remarkably tight forty minutes.
An unfortunate consequence of Atrae Bilis’ increasingly unorthodox approach to songwriting is that Aumicide only rewards its most patient and invested listeners. A true grower by nature, Aumicide lacks the immediacy of any of the band’s previous releases, instead focusing on an unintuitive structure that recalls a sonic equivalent to M.C. Escher’s wood engravings. Everything I encounter is easily recognizable as Atrae Bilis’ work, but Aumicide’s form is initially difficult to navigate because so many of its disorienting passages feel interchangable—any one could swap positions with another without compromising the structural integrity of the whole (“Protoxenesis” vs. “A Kingdom of Cortisol”). With more time, attention, and most importantly, many repeat listens, it steadily becomes apparent that those pieces are in fact bespoke to the songs in which they feature (“Inward to Abraxas,” “Through the Hologram’s Cervix”). Unfortunately, that realization may come too late for some. An added consequence of Atrae Bilis’s use of ephemeral vignettes as the building blocks of their constructs, many of Aumicide’s best ideas lack memorability or are difficult to pinpoint when recalling specific measures.1 Because the bulk of its compositional moments only get small portions of time apiece to shine, eschewing traditional repetition more often than not (exceptions include the incredible riffs in “Inward to Abraxas” and “To Snuff the Spirit Guides”), Aumicide might slip out of listeners’ grip on a casual spin.
On focused spins, though, Aumicide is monumentally interesting and continuously entertaining. Gnarled musical pathways weave between deformed, often heavily distorted scenery and create an uncomfortable atmosphere that feels so far removed from terrestrial environs that it challenges less acclimated tastes. But, because Atrae Bilis still retains the muscular groove that informed their earliest material, Aumicide’s otherworldly anatomy remains as invigorating as ever for a wider audience. From the opening bars of surprisingly worthwhile instrumental opener “Protoxenesis” to the bouncy leads closing the record as “Excrutiate Incarnate” fades to black, Aumicide swaggers and swerves with a flexibility that belies its sinewy form. Atrae Bilis’ ability to manipulate arpeggiated riffs, scathing scrapes, staggered blasts, and ultra-guttural roars into increasingly unknowable shapes never ceases to surprise. The added strobing distortions that provide a novel post-processed zest to songs like “Salted in Stygia” and “Inward to Abraxas” only expands their arsenal of ever-mutating sounds. That continuous drive to incrementally diversify and develop constitutes the spirit of Aumicide, and is the very thing that makes Atrae Bilis’ brainy tech death so much fun to experience.
The challenge, then, is how do Atrae Bilis evolve from this stage? A million options lie before them, but I as part of their loyal audience can’t anticipate where they lead. For me, that prospect indicates Atrae Bilis still have much potential to realize, and that Aumicide is but a stepping stone towards the band’s peak form. Therefore, I will continue watching Atrae Bilis closely and with great enthusiasm. I can’t wait to hear what comes next.
Rating: Good!
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: 20 Buck Spin
Websites: facebook.com/atraebilis | atraebilisdeath.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: April 19th, 2024
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