I don’t know about you, but if you’re anything like me then you know that this year has been an absolutely ridiculous year with a new spectacular release coming out of nowhere every few weeks if not multiple times in a single week! But, more than anything, 2019 has been a year of repeats for me. Past favorites who released spectacular albums from the likes of Frosthelm, Inter Arma, Zaum, Firespawn, Hybrid Nightmares, Elder, Triumvir Foul, and far more have released even more marvelous material this year, and that’s not even including those who have stuff in the works. I knew that Aktaion has material in the oven, but I didn’t realize it’d be done already! And this album is nothing short of a truly delicious treat that just keeps on giving.

Let’s not beat around the fucking bush here – Aktaion has topped themselves with this album. It was with their last effort of “Parade of Nature” that Aktaion soared right over their debut album right into my heart as even today I still very much love most of that record! And it was almost immediately after that album’s release that Aktaion announced work had commenced on album three, and after three years our wait has been far more than faithfully rewarded as “Above Empires” is without a doubt the most compelling release of its style that I’ve heard since it’s predecessor! Right out the gate, Aktaion lets not a single moment go to waste with this mammoth release that does far more than any Aktaion record before it as we see this band truly come into their own with “Above Empires” taking every possible flaw that this band has ever had in the past, flipping it, and honing them to become vicious elements that become some of the most glorious moments from this behemoth record! The cleans are smoother than they’ve ever been, the growls are more gripping than ever, the lyrics are more impactful on a much deeper level, the musicianship was simply untouchable for the entirety of “Above Empires”, the sheer quality was titanic from top to bottom, and the entire fucking performance was intoxicating on a level the likes of which we haven’t heard from the style in fucking years! Aktaion covers a wide swathe of everything that makes the style great in every form as there something for everyone in this album, and it’s this album that will undoubtedly become one of my favorites from 2019!

Metalcore has always had a couple of quality bands that have propelled it in recent years, and it’s single-handedly that Aktaion has reinvigorating my interest in the entire style yet again with this one fucking album. Truly, everything about this exudes power, emotion, and talent on a level that many tend to dismiss from most if not all records from the style, but it’s in one fell swoop that Aktaion raise the status quo to a level that should lead to them being considered part of the next generation of greats for the style. Such momentum cannot be easily disrupted, and it’s with the truly gorgeous work of “Above Empires” that Aktaion continues their meteoric growth in quality all around!

“Above Empires” releases on August 23rd!

LISTEN to an advanced track from “Above Empires” on Bandcamp here, or via YouTube below.

LIKE Aktaion on Facebook here.

FOLLOW Aktaion on Twitter: @Aktaionofficial