23rd December 2020

Review: “Colossus” by Aois Innealan

Hailing from South Africa, Aois Innealan (or “Age of machinery“) was formed in 2020 as a one man industrial metal project by Daniel Botha. Having spend time in the Black Metal underground scene and with a local band, he started the project as instrumentals for streamers but soon the project evolved to make use of electronic sounds, heavy guitaring, growling and clean singing…

…2020 has arguably been the year of the solo project as increasingly musicians are able to make use of technology to build their creations and home studio setups are simply getting better and better as the price of equipment comes down. Programmed drum patterns and swaiths of synths provide a space age industrial warmth with a certain amount of 80s Dark Wave Pop influence in “New World” while the creepy undercurrent is reminiscent of Static-X or Fear Factory. The guitars and harsh spoken word passages are what breathe life into the project with distinctive Black Metal tones in those vocals and an evil wrath to unleash. “Forgotten to Rot” has a somber and meloncholic atmosphere of Black Metal as a tale of self immolation with ambient moments that intertwine with the heavier parts as the throat scratching uncleans scar the mind. The synths move into a colder style with those bleak lyrics and provide a science fiction soundscape befitting of a b-movie horror film in which a man alone on an aging space station gradually finds insanity beckoning. Indeed the whole EP could be considered a concept release along those themes, such is it’s dark and compelling nature. More meloncholic is “Murder for One” which makes good use of vocal layering to have a harsh demonic voice underneath the harsh storytelling vocals as they depict suicide with gritty integrity before obvious single “Summoning” has an almost split personality in the lyrical frame. Astonishing, dark and evil, Aois Innealan is a project that could evolve in many ways and if any film maker is looking for someone to create a bleak soundscape, Daniel Botha is the one for the task [7.5/10]

Track listing