HAEX - AETHYR ABYSS VOID
HAEX
Reviewer Score: 9 out of 10
MEET A NEW "DEUS EX MACHINA"
The debut album called "Aethyr Abyss Void" of the California duo Haex burst onto the world’s Industrial scene like a heavy thermonuclear projectile! But Haex can hardly be called newbies; it's just that the path to the first full-length record was quite long and winding. This can be judged just by the fact that the messages about the "final stage" of work on the album at the band’s social networks date back to the beginning of 2019... And the first single of the album appeared on Bandcamp in the middle of 2017. But all this time, the band members, Adam V. Jones and Sarah Graves, did not waste their time, but gained experience in studio work and live performances on the local stage. So the band managed to perform on the same stage with Hocico and Das Ich, take part in various Industrial festivals and work on remixes of their colleagues.
For me, Haex turned out to be a complete surprise and one of the brightest discoveries of this year. Moreover, having noticed the vocalist's chic mustache, and comparing them and the area where the band was formed, I thought that this was some kind of new 3teeth project, but my hypothesis was not confirmed. Haex is a new name that, I am sure, will easily win the love of the audience that is not indifferent to the genre.
On "Aether Abyss Void", a little over half an hour of dense, massive, mechanical industrial, which the band themselves define as "esoteric industrial", awaits you. But it seems to me that such a definition is slightly confusing (even if it has a meaning, which we will talk about a little later), because it evokes associations with some kind of tribal sound a-la Ah Cama-Sotz. But Haex, although they weave elements of different styles into their machine pulsation, including Tribal, is still closer to their fellow countrymen from 3teeth. Here, clear, viscous rhythmic patterns are complemented by overdriven guitars and distorted vocals, which, by the way, are very strong on their own; you can hear it even behind the layers of filters.
From the first chords the record plunges you into a gloomy, futuristic, technogenic atmosphere. The intro track called "Divine Feminine" lives up to the term "esoteric industrial" by conjuring up the listener with images of rituals held in honor of some mechanical god. The next track "Cursebreaker" can safely be called one of the main bangers of the album: powerful guitar-based Industrial Metal, with which the guys outperform so many more prominent colleagues. Just for this track the band shot a video, which I also recommend to get acquainted with; the guys have a very interesting, peculiar visual style.
In conclusion, I would like to say that this year "Aethyr Abyss Void" has become a real "Deus ex Machina" for the genre. That same "God from the Machine" that turned everything upside down. I still can’t call it the best Industrial or Industrial Rock album of the year, but I can easily call it the main highlight of the genre in 2021! Adam and Sarah deserve recognition in the Industrial scene, and with material like this, I hope it won't be long in coming.
Appears on:
Available now on:

- Band
- AlbumAethyr Abyss Void
- ReleasedDecember 18, 2021
- CountryUSA
- GenresIndustrial / Industrial metal
- LabelTwin Torch Records
- Share
Reviewer:

Follow Me