Avralize - 'liminal' - Album Review

Lighthouse Music
5 days ago
3 min read

BACKGROUND. How do you top up one of the most concise and rounded debuts in years, easily amongst the freshest albums of 2024 and the brightest releases to shine upon the otherwise cloudy German metal scene in quite some time? The easy and expected way is to repeat it all, carefully developing the brand and polishing the details without much hustle. The best way, however, is to risk it all and go wild in every possible direction, and thankfully, this is the Avralize way. Less than two years since their explosive first album, the quartet are returning with their mezmerizingly bizare sophomore record liminal, and one that is bound to get inside your head for good.

BAND. It's crazy how at the beginning of 2024 noone really new who Avralize are, and now, not even two full years later, all I can think about are how damn infectious their grooves are. Thank the genius scouting teams at Arising Empire, the bubbling melting pot of creative ideas that is the contemporary German alternative scene, or just their parents for raising such talented weirdos, this band is an absolute keeper. Their debut FREAKS (2024) showed absolutely all signs of future potential and possible greatness, but it is liminal that will ultimately cement their name at Europe's modern metalcore hall of fame, and rightfuly so.

ALBUM. A wonderful mix of djenty goodness, funky grooves, disco aesthetic, hardcore attitude, unruly delivery and sleek production, liminal is the perfect example of cross-genre experimentation done right. Although pure modern metal at its heart, it is less -core and more alt- than FREAKS, and this appears to be Avralize's true calling and forte, for the band sounds more authentic and honest than ever. The album is carefree and dreamy, fuelled by youthful optimism, raw energy and uncontainable passion, both at its heavier edges and gentle parts alike.

SONGS. Captivatingly smooth in all its fourty minutes, liminal gets its proper kickstart with the playful 'medicine' and funky 'wonderlust'. As punching and envigorating as accessible and delicate, the album is cut into smaller bites by several fittingly futuristic '.wav' interludes, separating aethereal journeys like 'close to you' from pit-starting ragers like 'helium', jazzy sing-alongs like 'upside down' from bouncy bangers like the title track 'liminal'. From one extreme to another, we reach the closing pair of 'like a boomerang' and 'fading faster' or the true alt-pop-metal-indie-rock-funk-pop amalgamation that are Avralize in all their brilliance.

FUTURE. Although yet to be fully polished and seasoned, Avralize have already crafted a sound that is not just uniquely theirs, it is objectively and disarmingly good. Two years into their professional career, the band have found their niche, settled comfortably and perfected it. Where they go from here remains a mystery but you can bet its going to be another wild experience befitting the brand. For now, jump back into the head spinning genre parade that is liminal, and enjoy the ride.

Avralize - 'liminal'

Country: Germany

Released: 14 November

Label: Arising Empire

Tracklisting:

1. medicine

2. nothing here feels real.wav

3. wanderlust

4. open spaces.wav

5. close to you

6. cyanide

7. childhood.wav