ADNATE – FEROS

As it appears, "Feros" features three main compositions, each divided into two to four segments. The album opens with 'Veil Piercer I-Sacred Sun', where melancholic clean guitar lines immediately establish the atmosphere, setting the tone for the journey ahead. As the track unfolds, faint violin tones and a resonant bass line gradually emerge, deepening the brooding mood. The drums enter with cymbal-heavy accents, adding subtle movement. Around the two-minute mark, the arrangement thickens and darkens, building urgency. Just when it seems the track might remain instrumental, rasping vocals finally emerge toward the end, cutting through the slow, heavy wall of sound and adding another layer. Their placement is subtle and deliberate, with the vocals never fully stepping into the foreground—an approach that perfectly serves the song’s dense and brooding mood.

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Next up is 'Veil Piercer II-We Call to You'. What only hinted at its presence in the opener now arrives with full force. Powerful guitar riffs drive the track forward, while piercing, almost painful screams cut through the composition with gripping intensity. Despite the surge in aggression, the sound remains dense and crushing, maintaining the heavy atmosphere while pushing the energy to a more confrontational level.

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The second main composition, 'Tooth and Nail I-Fires Burnt Cold', begins with a cautiously unfolding guitar melody that sets a reflective tone. Gradually, the drums join in, adding atmospheric depth with a performance that feels both deliberate and restrained. The vocals enter comparatively late, but when they arrive, they do so with striking intensity, cutting through the arrangement and shifting the track’s mood to a more forceful register.

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'Tooth and Nail II-Time Annuls' offers a moment to breathe. The piece unfolds as a purely instrumental passage, inviting the listener to close their eyes and absorb the music on a deeper emotional level.

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'Tooth and Nail III-False Visions' and 'Tooth and Nail IV-Worlds Unknown' bring the sequence to a powerful close. Both tracks return to the album’s slow, crushing sound, driven by heavily distorted guitar lines and an oppressive atmosphere. Harrowing, pain-filled screams alternate with deep, sinister growls, intensifying the dark mood. The bass line becomes more noticeable here, adding further weight and depth to the already dense sonic landscape.

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As the album moves toward its conclusion, the final main composition, 'Sovereignless I-Vessel', unfolds with tender, melancholic guitar leads that gently draw the listener into a trance-like state.

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Once again entirely instrumental, the piece leans into ambient textures, offering a calm and reflective moment.

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'Sovereignless II-Unshackle' bursts open with raspy, guttural screams that carry a clear hint of despair, perfectly mirroring the weight of the composition beneath them. As the track unfolds, the vocal delivery gradually shifts further into black metal territory, intensifying the dark and oppressive atmosphere.

'Sovereignless III-Burden' begins with the subtle sound of crickets before the first instruments slowly emerge from silence. When the arrangement builds, a brief but effective choir passage adds an unexpected layer of atmosphere. Gradually, different musical elements gather momentum until the track erupts into heavier riffs and intense screaming that strongly recalls the spirit of second-wave black metal.

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The album closes with the final segment, 'Sovereignless IV-Swarm'. Echoing sounds that seem to emerge from a vast cave and subtle rustling textures create the eerie sensation of a swarm approaching. ADNATE once again demonstrates their ability to tell a story through sound alone. The blend of tender passages and sinister elements gives the composition strong cohesion. In the end, the track fades out with a powerful scream and creatively played drums, bringing Feros to a haunting conclusion.

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With "Feros", ADNATE delivers a dense and atmospheric work that thrives on patience, texture, and emotional weight. Blending sludge, doom, post-metal, and blackened elements, the band craft a soundscape that feels both crushing and meditative. It’s an album that rewards attentive listening and confirms ADNATE as masters of slow-burning, immersive heaviness.

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SCORE 9/10

REVIEWED BY SWAMPY