Album Review: Dead Letter Circus - Aesthesis

It's a very fine line for records that attempt to hold their integral sound and bridge into mass popular appeal, but stepping up for their third studio album, Brisbane's Dead Letter Circus have built on their previous two records with a fresh approach of soaring soundscapes in monumental stadium-esque rock style that still manages to keep its head within the progressive roots of the band.

The expansive sound of Aethesis sees the band's use of heavy dynamic shifting paired up with tracks bolstered with uplifting pop melodies, brash guitar riffs and a soaring vocal delivery from Kim Benzie that manages to achieve a perfect cohesion. Openers In Plain Sight and While You Wait take on grandeur through a charging harmony and lofty vocal layers that in true Dead Letter Circus style feels unmistakably aggressive without wandering down a path of token metal riffs and blasting drum beats. Conversely, the slow-stepping beat introduction of Silence creates a devastating effect as the meteoric rise of Clint Vincent's dazzling guitar work crashes into a choral bridge of excellence, all with the clean, crisp production that emphasises the frantic energy that the band excel at on stage.

Aethesis is a record that is fantastic on the first listen and will grab full attention with most tracks, but the depth of the band's intricate nature of instrumental flow and absorbing lyrics will leave you even more hooked with each new listen.