Band:	Allochiria
Album:	Omonoia
Style:	Post-metal, Atmospheric sludge metal
Release date:	January 04, 2014
A review by:	R'Vannith

01. Today Will Die Tomorrow
02. Oppression
03. Archetypal Attraction To Circular Things
04. We Crave What We Lack
05. Charikleia's Intermission
06. K.
07. Humanity Is False

Greek post-metal isn't something you hear of every day, and Allochiria are the nation's leading exponents.

Instrumentally they draw a great deal of influence from the wealth of inspiration that are Isis and Neurosis, working in similar dystopian themes and atmospherics of modern decay as forebears Cult Of Luna, while the instrumental concentration of their début record leads to Pelican comparisons, although with added vocals. But to say they run with these inspirations in an entirely carbon copying fashion would be grossly misevaluating things. Allochiria work a fresh new sound in that they aren't selectively derivative of any of the aforementioned post-metal titans in particular, sounding much like a blending act. Significantly the band choose psychedelia as a motive behind their heavily sludge based metal, and this approach is one which grants them something of a distinguishing feature.

As much can be heard in tracks like "Archetypal Attraction To Circular Things," wherein the psychedelic component is used as an atmospherically supportive element, which, by the song's end, is more fully expressed. The brief reprieve of "Charikleia's Intermission" offers a quieting transitional piece, before things get heavier with the full force of the sludge slamming stamp of "K."

Not many post-metal bands of this sort, or of any sort for that matter, opt for the psychedelic route, and to choose to up the ante somewhat as far as this aspect is concerned is a good way of finding an area of the genre not already oversaturated. What is needed on Omonoia is a greater emphasis on this and to build their sound more fundamentally around it. The most notable bands that do this to my knowledge being the likes of Minsk or Bloodiest. Though Omonoia is stylistically removed from either of these, their sound being much closer to the likes of the aforementioned Pelican than anything quite as focused on the psychedelic vibe.

Minsk and Bloodiest's psychedelic characters also stem largely from their respective vocal arrangements, and Allochiria take a significantly different approach to this. They have a female vocalist by the name of Irene, whose style sounds like a hybrid of hardcore and black metal growls, a further distinguishing feature when utilised within the album which adds to the generally dark nature of its atmosphere. However, her presence here is largely drowned out by the instrumental persuasions of the record, and generally where the vocals are used they come off as second best in wake of the guitars.

The tracks are lengthy and demonstrate climactic escalation, as one would expect of a post-metal album. Running at fifty minutes Omonoia isn't bloated or overworked, although you will be in for the long haul on tracks like the twelve minute closer "Humanity Is False," where we find some more psychedelic lacing, as well a bit of temporary clean vocal backing to enhance this lacing. The use of spoken word in the first two tracks also establishes some thematic direction for the record, although the aim for such a theme is of human societal degradation and dispassion, not something entirely original to explore within the genre.

Allochiria have a good hold on all the essential elements expected of a post-metal band, what's needed though is a greater attention to the details they've manage to demonstrate here, which would make them truly distinguishable within the current genre climate.