11 as in Adversaries - The Full Intrepid Experience of Light (2010)

Featuring two members of Glorior Belli, 11 as in Adversaries is another great addition to the ATMF roster, and with their debut full-length album “The Full Intrepid Experience of Light” they will surely get their name on the map. As the main selling point of 11 as in Adversaries, we have that their sound is very unique since they mix a blend of Post-Rock/Metal with Extreme Metal and Progressive Metal, creating a very rich spectrum of sounds unlike other band in the scene these days.

Getting things moving with the 15 minute epic “The Full Intrepid Experience of Light”, the band sets their sound apart for the rest immediately with the different textures presented in this song. Immediately the melodic and yet powerful guitar work stands out shifting from a Post-Rock/Metal approach to darker corners of Extreme Metal. The typical Progressive Metal tempo changes also add to the overall richness of this track and work wonders with the intricate Blues-infused bass guitar presented.

All songs in this release present a very unique approach and do not sound much alike, but keep a nice core that immediately helps you identify that they come from 11 as in Adversaries and nobody else. One thing is that while we are not huge fans of the vocals, they nicely complement the intense musical variety presented, especially on “The Night Scalp Challenger” when Niklas Kvarforth lays down some of his trade mark deranged screams and vocal sections.

The level of experimentation presented in all 6 tracks is very high and unlike other bands, 11 as in Adversaries make it work flawlessly every single time. Tracks like “Agitation in the Glorious Theme” are clear examples of how the band weasels it self into a particular style (Jazz/Progressive Metal) and quickly changes it’s shape and direction. The Post-Rock/Metal infused pieces like “Reckless Beacon’s Attraction”, greatly change the pace of things but keeps the originally and overall weirdness flowing to the max. Even on their ‘harsh’ straight forward songs like “Verses from which to Whirl” the band manages to sneak up some nice melodic aspects and keeps things under the same veil of excellence that the rest of the album features.

In general, 11 as in Adversaries is truly an Avant-garde band. They combine plenty of different genres and in the process they craft a very unique sound for themselves and in the process they never sound disconnected or completely random. The musical quality behind the band is unrivaled and with their crafty songwriting abilities they have managed to make one of the most interesting releases of 2010. So if you like new and completely off-base stuff, then you will surely dig this band’s sound.

Release: November 22nd, 2010

Country: France