ILLUMINATUS – Aborted Revolutions

While ILLUMINATUS gets handled as UK’s best kept secret in matter of dark metal the band itself is currently working on the debut album but still sending out their demo CD’s. This way the band’s 2003 released second CD Aborted Revolutions landed on me desk.
Founded back in 2001 by British globetrotter John (git.) and Spanish Julio (vox, git.) they added a Scottish keyboard player, a German-Belgian drummer and a British 4-stringer to the group ranks, emerging as a multicultural entity. Playing their asses of in UK they even shared the stage with famous bands at Bloodstock Festival 2004.
ILLUMINATUS offer emotive darkly political post metal, blending hauntingly melancholic-draped melodies as we know from older Anathema with the emotionality and expressiveness of Neurosis' fame. Singer Julio sometimes falls into scream-like singing one need to get used to it at the first run, but at the end that’s the grain adding force to the aggressive and passionate lyrics against warfare and weapon trade. It doesn't take long time and one will love this voice. All three songs Emotion Sickness (great lyrics), Wargasm and White Lies (ah, what a great guitar intro, Danny Cavanagh couldn't have done better) range within heartbreaking melancholy, grandiose guitar leads, reflective passages, energetic outbursts and fast parts, underlaid with symphonic keyboard soundscapes.
Aborted Revolutions is such an emotional piece of music that captivates from the first tone on, getting under your skin. It is just way too short! The more I listen the more I get into it, loving, drifting, losing …