Originally written by Tim Pigeon
Everyone’s 2nd-favorite band named after poison gas (#1 = the legendary Napalm Death, for those not up on their WW2 history) has returned in 2003 to show the metal masses how metal is done properly.
Utilizing a pure death metal approach, they seem to have turned their back on the black metal-inspired effort put forth on their acclaimed effort, World ov Worms. Personally, I think that’s a positive, as only a few songs on that album moved me at all. They seemed to have found their groove on Aeon, and a hint of the old-school of US death metal rears its head. Aeon plays like a progression from a Morbid Angel album, except I enjoy it, unlike your average MA album. While the drums fly along at breakneck speeds, the guitars generally stay planted in a slower place.
Skill-wise, Zyklon has more than enough ability to accurately pull off whatever sound they want, but what would you expect from a band made up of members from bands including Emperor and Myrkskog. Aeon‘s production is perfect for a Diesel-approved death metal album. Everything comes through perfectly, guitars, vox, and especially the drums, which are heard, but not forced down your throat, like many death bands of today. The double-bass is a bit clicky, but not to extremes.
Fierce, throwback death metal is the dish of the day with the new Zyklon. “The Prophetic Method” is a must-hear song. Firmly rooted in thrash, this particular song goes straight for the jugular, and keeps on squeezing. “Psyklon Aeon” features some nasty dissonant riffing, along with a dual-vocal attack by Secthdamon; one being the typical screamed vox, and the other sounding like Rob Zombie on roids. I love it! “Core Solution” embarks on a markedly slower pace than the rest of the album, but fans of evil-sounding triplets will dig the hell out of the verse sections. A meandering, almost Nile-esque, solo awaits the listener. All of the other tracks are solid as well, even the odd techno finale to “Electric Current.”
Aeon is a strong effort put forth that remembers how death metal used to be done, and how I feel it should be done. There will undoubtedly be those that feel cheated by this new direction, away from the chaos of World Ov Worms, but you can’t please everyone.
