Review: “Erasure of Color” by Aversed

Four years after their last burnt offering “Impermanent” the sophomore album from Boston, Massachusetts Progressive Melodic Death Metal horde Aversed finds them at something of a cross roads. Titled “Erasure of Color” it follows no less than four waterfall released singles that have showcased the vocal talents of Sarah Hartman who was brought in from Metanoia to fill the void left by the departure of Haydee Irizarry in 2021. Curiously enough only two of those singles feature on the album, the other two cut adrift as standalone. The album also marks the return of bassist Martin Epstein (Dainsleif, Diezel), who exited stage left in 2019 after a decade in the group and was only away for two years. Packaged with intriguing artwork from Adam Burke (Unto Others, Gatecreeper, Cloak) of Nightjar Illustration and self-produced by guitarists Alden Marchand and Sungwoo Jeong, this time out there are orchestrations composed and arranged by Vikram Shankar (Redemption, Silent Skies, Pain Of Salvation). The album is mixed by AJ Viana (Wormhole, Hath, Cognitive) and mastered by Brad Boatright (Code Orange, Obituary, 200 Stab Wounds) at Audiosiege, the promise of a glimpse of hope and beauty on a backdrop of raging, mournful Gothic Extreme Metal… oh and did we mention their drummer? It just so happens to be the one and only Jeff Saltzman (Allegaeon, Sky Pillar, Unflesh)…

Rampaging Melodic Death Metal riffs scream from the fretboards like missiles from the housings on a helicopter gunship as “To Cover Up The Sky” takes shape, raising the hairs on the back of the neck with the verve and swagger of the performance. Hartman roars like a banshee throughout the first half of the cut, instantly bringing to mind Candace Kucsulain and “All Hail The Dead” era Walls Of Jericho. They say it pays to expect the unexpected but nothing can really prepare you for that level of vocal ruthlessness… or the seamless slide into a haunting melodic bridge with a Jazz inspired bassline and a velvet clean vocal passage. That opens the floor for a flamboyant solo as vocal layering it put to good use, underpinning the screams with the cleans in time honoured fashion. They also say the first cut is the deepest and this one certainly leaves that powerful kind of impression. “Cross To Bear” was actually released back in 2024 as one of the two singles to precede the album and it sounds very much like it was recorded in the same sessions. Dark melodies wrapped in chugging guitars and bursts of blast beats keep you of the edge of your seat, the vocal blend very much the icing on the cake. As the cleans soar above the violent turbulence like phoenix above the flames, former The Agonist and current Sicksense vocalist Vicky Psarakis springs to mind as an obvious comparison, that’s how lush this performance is.

Haunting riffs give “Lucid Decapitation” an unsettling edge to an otherwise punishing groove, pummelling percussion setting a high standard. Spine juddering Progressive Death Metal riffs burst into a classic climbing solo, the quintet clearly knowing how to pack their explosives into neatly packaged cuts, trimming the fat as they go. Arguably we should expect nothing less from seasoned musicians like these… but everyone has the ability to go off on a tangent once in a while. The fire and brimstone continues with “Inexorable“, the brutal first verse laced with restless and relentless Death Metal drumming of the highest order. A transition through stunning clean vocals to solo with its roots in Traditional Heavy Metal is sublime, especially because its so well crafted. None of the furious and ferocious energy or momentum is lost in doing so, which enables a grand finale of blast beats and screams to take place before stopping on a dime. It shouldn’t actually be possible to bridge the space between Progressive, Death, Traditional and perhaps even Power Metal like this but Aversed make it sound easy. “Burn” offers up a few odd time signatures and some funky bass from Epstein between staccato riff breaks, this one sounding like an unreleased moment from Ukraine’s finest export Jinjer, such is the quality of its crafting. A lethal breakdown with is pure blood and thunder, the musicians offering up a plethora of fresh ideas and having the confidence to run with them.

Almost tribal drum patterns and clean vocals give a moment of respite as “Solitary” comes to life, a punchy verse and some haunting whispers giving the mid section an almost sultry feel. Building momentum for heavier elements rather than simply pulling the pin and running gives this one a bombastic finale and puts the jaw on the floor. Then comes the title track “Erasure of Color” like a beast from beyond the grave, rising the occasion with nuanced moments of pitch harmonic as Epstein demonstrates why he was brought back into the fold. His bass line on this one is like he’s playing a third rhythm guitar and Viana’s mix ensures you can hear every moment. A flourish of cinematic orchestration towards the end adds a bit of stardust while cleverly enhancing the balance between the melodic and the heavy. An interlude piece of acoustic guitar and piano feels like the sensation of “Yearning” and gives the discerning listener an 89 second breather of stunning quality before the anticipated grand finale of “Departures” provides exactly that. Gothenburg sound influenced Melodic Death Metal riffs take us back to the early 2000’s as Hartman roars with fresh venom, the tale of a broken relationship also having space for some beautiful clean vocal lines. The Chef’s kiss is the piano at the end and in all honesty all this needs is some pyrotechnics and an arena because Aversed have crafted the sound to fill one with sublime musicianship [9/10]

Track Listing

1. To Cover Up The Sky
2. Cross To Bear
3. Lucid Decapitation
4. Inexorable
5. Burn
6. Solitary
7. Erasure of Color
8. Yearning
9. Departures

“Erasure of Color” by Aversed is out 21st March 2025 M-Theory Audio and is available over at bandcamp.