Ataraxy - The Festival / The Tomb

ATARAXY - The Festival / The Tomb (ME SACO UN OJO - 7"EP 2016)

I really like what’s going on in Spanish death metal scene nowadays, where some bands really prove to be worthy and are better than anything what this country has spawned in the 90’s. My two favourites are Graveyard and Ataraxy. Both have proven strongly that there’re no better bands in their country. But I was getting little bit worried that we hear nothing from Ataraxy since the release of their fantastic debut LP “Revelations of the Ethereal”. I do hope they’re working on new record and that it will be released soon. Meanwhile though we get this 7”EP “The Festival / The Tomb”. It contains two songs that were recorded during the “Revelations…” session, but were not featured on the actual album. I know what you may think now… Two leftovers, so it means they were not good enough to be on the full length. Well, I have to say that it doesn’t feel like it at all. When I listen to both songs I feel exactly the same thrill which I do during the listening of “Revelations of the Ethereal”. Both “The Festival” and “The Tomb” are great quality death metal songs, which should be also on the album. And I think the only reason why they’re not there is that the album would be just too long. Anyway, it’s great that Me Saco Un Ojo released this seven inch, it’s killer addition to my Ataraxy collection and occasion to listen to two new songs from this killer band.

I believe that Ataraxy music was becoming more and more original and worthy, getting more quality with each new recording. Of course I still like their very “Sweden meats Autopsy” sounding demo “Rotten Shit”, but what the band did on “Revelations of the Ethereal” is so much better. And these two “outtakes” from the session sound incredibly good. I love that dark, eerie atmosphere of the music, I truly like the production. And the riffage, with great combination of slow and faster parts is insanely good. For me this is perfect death metal, my most preferred style within this genre. And Ataraxy knows how to play it, compose and arrange it to make it sound better than 99% of other death metal bands around. I especially love “The Festival”, with its great slow parts, creepy melodies, keyboards that give it more obscure feeling and sudden outbursts of faster death metal that are going to break necks of every headbanger. Honestly though “The Tomb” is also amazing, it’s tad heavier, more brutal and vicious – especially the opening theme here gives me a goose bumps every time I hear it.

So, outtakes or not, these two songs are killer and it’s such a good feeling to listen to Ataraxy again. They’re one of my favourite bands for sure, so I hope they’ll finally come up with another album. Meanwhile, I strongly recommend this EP. Get it before it’s too late.

Final rate: 90/100