Avralize – Freaks
Release Date: 22nd March 2024
Label: Arising Empire
Order/Stream
Genre: Metalcore, Progressive Metal.
FFO: Volumes, Veil Of Maya, Monuments.
Review By: Metal Miguel
Led by the dynamic quartet of Severin Sailer on vocals, Philipp Tenberken wielding the guitar, Bastian Gölz behind the drums, and Valentin Noack on bass, AVRALIZE marks its entry into the music scene with their inaugural album, “Freaks,” set for release on March 22nd under the Arising Empire label.
Their music is a fusion of electrifying energy, technical prowess, and creative artistry, highlighted by explosive breakdowns, provocative guitar riffs, and memorable choruses. Hailing from southern Germany, the band masterfully blends the raw intensity of deathcore with polished production and infectious grooves that irresistibly invite listeners to move. AVRALIZE embodies auditory exploration, dedicating their craft to enveloping listeners in immersive soundscapes, utilizing futuristic sounds and melodies to transport their audience to otherworldly realms.
The band pours their soul into each moment of the album, transcending the boundaries of metalcore, allegedly, to create an unforgettable auditory experience, ensuring that it resonates as a comforting echo in moments of solitude, which is what bands like AS I LAY DYING, PERIPHERY, VEIL OF MAYA and maybe even MONUMENTS but by that illustrious list of bands you can see where this 8 track, 35 minute, solid metal offering is coming from but certainly from a more bouncy and poppy-vibe if I’m honest, but that isn’t to say the beatdowns are disappointing, far from it. It starts the same way it finishes, and is heavy to the last.
It’s an interesting album and warrants multiple plays. This album grows on you too, so elements you missed on the first pass are filled in with more sections you missed, and that process goes on for a few listens, which is why it’s worth a repeat play. It also stands up to be listened to loud, with soaring and epic melodies that sit as filler in between beatdowns to nod your head in approving fashion. “Freaks” isn’t just an album; it’s a narrative arc that weaves through the complexities of human emotion and experience.
From the press release and how others speak of the metalcore act, I can surmise that the album, at its core, is a mosaic of songs that confront the spectres of past traumas and the gnawing anxiety of the present but wrapped up in a mix of metal angst and groovy riffage that sounds tight and polished as they make out. Well produced and has a lovely edge that allows you to hear the very essence of this album that they seem to care so much about, and it cuts across well. 
(4 / 5)
