{"id":3043,"date":"2018-11-18T03:42:18","date_gmt":"2018-11-18T03:42:18","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2025-12-27T10:24:41","modified_gmt":"2025-12-27T15:24:41","slug":"azusa-heavy-yoke","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/heavensmetalmagazine.com\/index.php\/2018\/11\/18\/azusa-heavy-yoke\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Azusa – Heavy Yoke"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Progressive Thrash Death Metal Returns!<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

I love this new music from Azusa. Who? Remember Extol? Remember Extol\u2019s Burial<\/em> (1998) and Undeceived<\/em> (2000)? Christer Espevoll (guitars, ex-Extol) and David Husvik (drums, Extol) have had a reunion of sorts and they invited Liam Wilson (bass, Dillinger Escape Plan) and the incredibly talented Eleni Zafiriadou (vocals, Sea+Air) to the party. Progressive thrash death metal might just make a comeback thanks to this little gathering of musicians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you can imagine a blending of the styles of the first 3 Extol releases with female vocals that aren\u2019t quite as \u201cblack metal\u201d sounding (but kinda close) as Peter Espevoll, then you should have a sonic picture of what Azusa have to offer. Even the cover artwork resembles the mighty Extol \u2013 Undeceived<\/em> with the shrouded figure with face in shadow. I confess, I have not been as excited about a new extreme metal band since Becoming The Archetype \u2013 and that was a few too many years ago now.

Seriously, this isn\u2019t an exact recreation of early Extol, but this is probably as close to that incarnation as I\u2019ve heard in many years, if ever. I loved the self-titled Extol comeback album a few years ago, but these songs have the thrash speed, creative insanity and frenetic movement of those early Extol years. Perhaps that combustible force of unabashed shred partly accounts for the band name? Pentecostal frenzy was never this metal though (or maybe it was).

Eleni has this inhuman way of shifting from the melodic to the harsh, yet all the while maintaining the intensity and clarity of word \u2013 her voice every bit as important to these songs as the instrumentalists. When she soars with the melodic she sounds a bit like Lacuna Coil\u2019s Cristina Scabbia (\u201cFine Lines<\/strong>\u201d). I think \u201cInterstellar Islands<\/strong>\u201d nicely exhibits these attributes, but her performance throughout is both captivating and inspirational. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christer\u2019s guitars are as crisp and energetic as his early days with Extol, the chemistry with Husvik quite evident. Liam\u2019s bass is locked-in tight and nicely placed in the mix \u2013 the rhythms here easily inspiring any metal drummer or bass player to greatness. When you listen to these songs, though, it is so fluid and sincere \u2013 like the artists are just sharing a cathartic experience of joy, aggression, thoughtful persuasion with the listener. There are no long instrumentally indulgent passages.

Lyrically, this material seems to confront the \u201cheavy yoke\u201d that we impose upon ourselves both physically and spiritually through fear and perhaps intimidation and infliction of guilt. The title track<\/strong> is just too good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cHeavy yoke\/The truth behind the lies\/Heavy on your soul.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The juxtaposition of the melodic chorus and harsh vocals with those driving guitars, bass and percussive precision is both convincing and convicting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cA spark is blown into flame\/Fire sweeps through your vacant heart.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cSpellbinder<\/strong>\u201d would have to be another highlight musically and lyrically. \u201cEternal Echo<\/strong>\u201d has the head-banging elements that would make for a great song in the live setting \u2013 a nice balance of riff-heavy metal and thrash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThough shadows veil my eyes\/Your light surrounds me\/Back to the beginning again\/Drinking eternity.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And if that is not enough, \u201cIniquitous Spiritual Praxis<\/strong>\u201d is a scathing thrash rant against \u201ccomplacency in tradition.\u201d (my interpretation) I mean, who writes lyrics like this anymore, \u201cBaptized in a cocktail of iniquitous spiritual praxis<\/em>?\u201d I love it!

At 34 quick minutes, it\u2019s too short. With an average song length of 3 minutes (and 2 songs just shy of the two-minute mark) Heavy Yoke<\/em> feels more like an old-fashioned demo\/promotional release than a full-length feature. I can assure you, however, that every minute is well worth the price of admission as these songs make an instant, and lasting, impact. Not surprisingly, the sound\/production quality stands up to the Extol material. Still, some of these songs end smewhat abruptly, so this might be a bit of a teaser for some of the more progressive types who like things drawn out a bit more fully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It seems Heavy Yoke<\/em> is testing the waters, so to speak, just skimming the surface of the potential that lies beneath. Yep, I\u2019m hooked and eagerly look forward to more from this crew. For now, these 34 minutes of metal bliss will be overplayed and never underappreciated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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