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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
All is bliss., April 16, 2003
Stunningly unique and rewarding, Aghora's first release is a dazzling marvel sadly overlooked by most fans of the progressive/technical metal field. Aghora finds a natural integration of breathtaking female classical vocals, heavy & progressive twin guitar brilliance, a deft jazz-fusion rhythm section, references to Old World folk and Indian melodies, exotic tones, unusual harmonic systems, and more. The overall sound is very fluid and the interplay tighter-than-thou. Some have expressed aversion to Danishta Rivero's vocals but I love them. Her voice is pretty, unfolding with sweet, diatonic, almost repetitive simplicity. Her style of ultra-compact singing is hypnotizing to me. She reminds me of the effortless but tense vocal perfection of Suzanne Lewis (ex-Thinking Plague), and to me that is good. It would be easiest to put say the music has a metal aesthetic, and I suppose it is partly true -- however, the roaring metal riffs that appear opening the first song "Immortal Bliss" or the ones that sunder the peaceful vibe of "Mind's Reality" never dominate. Metal is a term I would apply out of convenience rather than perfect description. Aghora crafts a very unique sound with this album -- like the best progressive music, _Aghora_ constructs its own subgenre of music. Guitarist Santiago Dobles brings a fresh cauldron of influences spiced up with his own tricks, proving to be very subtle and imaginative musician. Tonally and melodically his playing is stunning and burns like holy fire. He employs exotic sounding scales and permutations but gives them a soaring metal fury, and likes to alternate between minor and major keys a la John McLaughlin (not that McLaughlin is the only guitarist to do it, but the phrasing is similar). His solo on "Frames", with his two-finger tapping achieving a gorgeous legato effect, is one of the finest I've heard. He also uses the choral sitar with remarkable effects throughout. For example, on the last song, an instrumental titled "Anugraha", his sitar playing finds itself morphed from an angry tension to a deep peace, mirroring the ancient Tantric group Aghora (from which the band takes its name) that sought to grasp the dark side and take it into the light. Musicians concentrically weave and adapt to each other, balancing colorful, orchestral sounds with precise, punctuated guitar work. "Transfiguration" is also great, with a base of dexterous fusion and jingling arpeggiated chords, broken up by ominous slower passages featuring that sitar's haunting murmur. Rivero's liquid vocal is amazing here too. Sean Malone further proves that he is the finest bassist in metal: his beautiful note selection, timing, technical skill, and tantamount interplay with other musicians (especially drummer Sean Reinert) is always a marvel to hear. The Malone-Reinert rhythm section is grounded in a jazz-fusion orientation, often baffling to a listeners' sense of time (many passages in five and seven, with weird accents in a measure's subdivisions). Malone is almost another melodic voice, slyly shifting between rhythmic and melodic interactions. Reinert is irreproachably tasteful and intense, a very unique drummer among. Listening to them play is a joy worth the album's purchase on its own. Although the music is mostly written by Dobles, the band exhibits a innate understanding for the needs of the music. The taut "Jivatma" began as a jam between Dobles and Sean Reinert, a seductive dance of percussion and bittersweet weeping guitar wails. It was fleshed out later into a more lush, engrossing atmosphere with amazing complements from Malone. The acknowledgment in the liner notes verifies the band's good taste, as they dedicate this track to Shakti and the Mahavishnu Orchestra, two of the ultimate fusion outfits of all time. I'm sure I didn't say everything I wanted to, but this review must eventually end. Absolutely essential for progressive metal fans looking for something beyond the same ol' thing.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Progmetal for Cynic fans...or progmetal cynics., November 17, 2005
If you're like me, and you consider about 99% of progmetal to be way too boring and formulaic, then Aghora is just what you need. With the incredible rhythm section of the immortal Sean Reinert and Sean Malone, and the hauntingly beautiful vocals of Daneishta Rivero, this album is quite a unique and thrilling experience.
Aghora combine many different styles effortlessly, and frequently shift from one to the other in the blink of an eye. From the opening metal assault of "Immortal Bliss", to the funk-flavored "Transfigurations", to the epic, jazzy, "Frames", to the Hindu-inspired "Anugraha", there is a surprise around every corner. "Mind's Reality" moves easily between insane complexity and Daneishta's amazing vocals. "Jivatma" is a huge, atmospheric instrumental, whose 11 minutes go by startlingly fast. The songwriting is incredibly tight, and there is plenty of melody to go along with the wild crazy proggy stuff.
Ok, I must talk up Daneishta a little bit more. When it comes to progmetal vocals, or just any kind of rock vocals in general (but mostly progmetal vocals), this lovely woman is difficult to top. She is a classically trained singer, but unlike other female metal singers with opera training that I could name (like ones in, say, Nightwish), she has a great deal of subtlety and delicate beauty. None of that over-the-top, uber-vibrato stuff, that to me is just tasteless and, well, kinda goofy. But Daneishta is great. Perfect, haunting tone, and sort of exotic. She almost reminds me of a traditional Japanese singer (although she's not Japanese).
Anyway, this is, quite simply, one of the most accomplished progmetal albums you can hope to hear. All those lame Dream Theater wannabe bands could take some serious lessons here. A must-have for all fans of creative, technical music.
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Keeping Music Alive, May 3, 2000
Aghora is an interesting progressive metal mix. Featuring a wonderful rythem section with Sean Malone on bass, Sean Reinert on drums,tabla and percussion.(Both are from Cynic and Gordion Knot). Female vocalist Danishta Rivero ads a very unusual flavor for the music.(as it is unusaul to have a vocalist actually sing over this type of music). Santiago Dobles provides lead guitar,programming and the occasional choral sitar. Also featured on guitar is Charlie Ekendahl. If you are a fan of Cynic or Gordian Knot you will love this album, though the three do not sound alike all are phenominal on equal planes.
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