Review NEAERA “All is Dust”

It came as a bit of a surprise when German metalcore veterans Neaera returned with a new album in 2020. “Neaera” ended a seven-year hiatus and showed a band that was back with a full force.

Fortunately, the wait for the next album, “All is Dust”, wasn’t as long as for the previous release. Four years after the launch of the self-titled comeback album, Neaera deliver another stunning and versatile album that shows once again why the band belongs to the spearhead of German metalcore.

The writing process for the new album started back in 2021, but the result wasn’t exactly what the band had in mind, which led to a fresh start. The idea was to proceed with a freer mindset, allowing the band to stretch the boundaries. The endeavour ended successfully and echoes in ten new songs.

Three songs have already been released ahead of the album’s release. One of these singles was ‘Parcifier’, which follows the furious opener ‘Antidote to Fate’. Both songs are great representatives of the album as they combine rage, melody and energy, all held together by a very dense sonic framework. Neaera also don’t push the pedal to the metal from start to finish. The album comes with a basic level of musical aggressiveness and at the same time doesn’t just rely on high speed metalcore.

The guys have forged songs that are thunderous throughout and at the same time vary their pace.Groove and speed are well balanced, which adds to the album’s exciting atmosphere.

Photo: Xoxo Photography

The title track is next, a song that is a well chosen name-giver for the album. It deals with the topic of man’s (ir)relevance in the context of an infinite universe. What adds to the intensity of this song is the partly growled vocals that interact with hoarse screams, both perfectly executed by frontman Benny Hilleke.

There’s no breather on this album as every song is a sonic blast, with the fast-paced ‘Edifier’ being the next chapter of the album not to be missed. The song also shows a slight change in the band’s approach to lyrics. The individual is more in focus and “Edifier” contributes to this shift. The song comes with a rather positive message of the individual strength to come into balance and accept oneself.

“In Vain” starts with an atmospheric but dark intro and you wait for the song to explode. The atmospheric aspect remains throughout as the heaviness steadily increases, making ‘In Vain’ a standout moment on the album. Another track on the album is the furious “Dividers”. It’s not the fastest track on the album. On the contrary. “Dividers” is a slower riff eruption with pulverising moments when the blast beats kick in. It’s these contrasts that make ‘All is Dust’ an enthralling release.

“All is Dust” is a massive album. It offers everything you could possibly hope for. Brutal riffs, harsh vocals, a thunderous sound and a great groove, it’s all there. Neaera underline their position in German and European metalcore with the smashing “All is Dust”. This album is a blast that will reverberate in your ears for a long time