As If Forever Really Exists

North Carolina's very own Aria has a propensity for vicious heavy metal, as their debut album, As if Forever Really Exists, reads like the textbook doctrine on true metal. Jacob Bigham and Joe Benham's dual guitar assault weaves magnificent harmonic symphonies of sound as easily as any of the classic Swedish metal greats such as At the Gates or In Flames. Alongside these powerhouses stands frontman Paul Genet (whom die-hard metalheads should recognize as the former vocalist of Azazel, one of the underground's most infamous groups), whose guttural screams draw from the hardcore, death metal, and grindcore styles quite fluidly. There are several tumultuous moments where the listener may lose themselves as easily as the musicians obviously had, yet when Aria capitalizes on their strengths, this is a band who is most intimidating. The album's defining point has to be the mind-blowing "My Genesis, My Judas" that just seems to never lose its focus and slaughters its fellow tracks with precision and brutality. As if Forever Really Exists has its flaws, but it is an album worth a listen for those tired of the bland regurgitation being offered from the mainstream metal scene. ~ Jason D. Taylor, Rovi