AVIANA – Corporation
Release Date: 30th September 2022
Label: Arising Empire
Pre-Order/Pre-Save
Genre: Metalcore
FFO: Novelists, Landmvrks, Sentinels, Monuments.
Review By: Trina Julian Edwards
Corporation is the start of the next chapter for Swedish metalcore favorites, AVIANA. Despite the successful release of their second album, Epicenter, in 2019, all of vocalist Joel Holmqvist’s former bandmates decided to leave the band in March 2020. Holmqvist determined that he was not done with the project and continued on alone, using his time during the pandemic to create this new incarnation of AVIANA. Holmqvist considers the album a collection of singles, as there are new songs on the album, but also previous releases from 2021 that fans will no doubt recognize.
The opening track, Curriculum, is all instrumental. We begin with ambient noises, synth, and even a little choral action. When the instruments kicked in, it threw me that it started with a kind of breakdown; however, after completing my first listen, I realized Holmqvist created a mash-up using parts of the other songs on the album. With this in mind, the flow is excellent. The title is a good clue. It’s clever, and I like the idea, but I don’t know that it necessarily adds anything to the album, other than foreshadowing. I’m hoping the commercial release flows right from Curriculum into Obsession, because you can clearly hear synth-y string elements from Curriculum in the beginning of this second track, and it adds a kind of tension that fits the lyrical theme. Obsession is intense, with fierce verses and a passionate chorus that will really resonate with fans who have ever felt trapped by depression or other mental issues. The vocal dynamics are excellent, with melodic cleans and ferocious, harsh lows that add meaning to the narrative. That bridge leans straight over into deathcore territory, and I’m pleased to see them going a bit heavier here.
I love that Holmqvist uses spoken words from Dylan Thomas’ poem, Do not go gentle into that good night for Rage:
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
This track definitely raves and rages. I am thrilled about the overlay of the clean vocals over the increasingly harsher vocals, particularly on the lines, “oh God I’m drowning, I can’t take it anymore…” The moving leads are quite proggy, but it works, and the breakdown elements at the end fit very well within the context of the song. Paradox is my favorite track, partially because it features Marcus Vik, former vocalist of AVIANA, now with Invent Animate. The interplay between Holmqvist and Vik is fantastic, with Vik effortlessly hitting his furious highs and Holmqvist dropping those nasty lows. The frenetic rhythm perfectly matches the anxiety-inducing verses, and the chorus just won’t let go. The bending into a descending scale on the leads is like a long walk off a short pier, and that filthy breakdown at the end caught me off guard, but it’s a beauty.
Oblivion is one of these tracks that hits like a jackhammer right from the start. That rhythm is just relentless. Great guitar tone, a bit djenty, and I’m definitely getting some DOOM vibes in this one. BFG Division maybe, but with lyrics. The singable chorus is shockingly melodic against this brutal backdrop. At 2:30, I swear I’m hearing the Imperial siren from Star Wars, but I’m ok with it. This is exactly what your soundtrack should sound like when you’re trying to get off the Death Star. In Retaliation, we get another taste of just how talented a vocalist Holmqvist is. The false cord screams are terrifying, and the gutterals just keep getting lower and more impressive. No typical cleans to speak of, although he throws out some fierce yells with no fry. This track starts off a bit slower-paced, but it’s got girth, and the chorus ushers in some groove. We also get more of those sweet breakdown elements that just keep pushing a little further toward the deathcore side of the fence.
Anomaly goes in a different direction than the other tracks on the album, so the title is certainly apt. It has the obligatory “driving late at night” ambience with some old school synthwave, and the vocal effects reinforce that impression. The heaviness comes in around 2:36 with machine-gun drumming, tortured screams, and guitar squeals underlying the cleans and the steady cadence of the synth. It’s not normally the type of track I’m drawn to, but the arrangement is definitely effective in terms of atmosphere, and the more deliberate pace matches the serious theme of mental abuse. Transcendent starts with some synth-y elements that hint at a prog direction at first, although that’s never fully realized here. The clean verses are stripped down to focus on the lyrical themes of self-awareness and taking responsibility, but then everything blows up at the chorus. I never get tired of the layered vocals, and Holmqvist demonstrates great range on this track, giving us cleans that are smooth and sleek and harsh vocals that are brutal as all hell. Just when you’re thinking, “oh, those melodic sections are a really nice contrast…,” the breakdown slaps you right in the face.
Illuminate is one of those songs that lets you dip a toe in the water before it grabs your ankle and drags you in. The steady rhythm slowly accelerates to set you up for the breakneck speed of the chorus. The pace drops abruptly like you’d expect in a breakdown, but it’s off and running again and there’s a constant feeling that something is imminent. Holmqvist’s harsh vocals are particularly good and guttural in this track. Illuminate was made for moshing and I bet it’ll be a bloodbath live. Overcome has a funky little beat to open it up, maybe going a bit nu metal with this one, but I’m not quite feeling the monotone spoken words. The melodic chorus with the angsty cleans sucks you in, though, and you can never go wrong with a solid rhythm section and proggy metalcore guitar. That breakdown at the end is a monster, and perfectly conveys the drama of the last words, “just let me breathe.” The final track, Negligence, is another instrumental. It’s full of ambient sounds with slow drums, string elements, and what sounds like a lone guitar with effects. It has a nice, steady pace, but a kind of melancholy feel. As with the first instrumental track, I’m not sure exactly what this adds to the album, but taken together with the intro, it does bookend the collection nicely.
Overall, I am pleased that Holmqvist continued with AVIANA despite the obstacles. I know some were skeptical after the announcement that Holmqvist was going it alone, myself included, but he made this project work, and I am delighted to report the production is also excellent. Corporation lacks some of the innovation that comes with having a dedicated group of people invested in the success of a team effort, and because of the circumstances, it’s a bit homogenous. I’m not sure if Holmqvist had uncredited assistance or if he did everything alone, but I’m not unhappy about the direction AVIANA has taken. I love the heavier elements that have been incorporated here, and I hope it’s a sign of more to come. Additionally, the combination of meaningful lyrics with Holmqvist’s dynamic vocals really helped sell these tracks. This is a solid album with some bangers and some skips, but I believe fans of the band and the genre in general will find it a worthwhile listen. 
(4 / 5)
