The Awakening is not a new name in the music world. Ethereal Menace is his third CD. I say 'his' as The Awakening is the work of one person: Ashton Nyte. Based in Johannesburg, South Africa, he wrote the music on this disc and played most of the instruments himself. A fourth album is already out in his home country. What you can hear on Ethereal Menace is gothic rock music. It's not really heavy stuff. The first song (In Etherea) is guitar driven and midtempo. The second (Naked) is slower and has a dark atmosphere created by keyboards. Nyte's singing ranges from low and slow, almost whisper like, to midrange. The music of the third song, Chains, is more uptempo. The songs are good and the singing fits this style of music very well. It contributes to the dark atmosphere you can sense in those songs. The guitars could be much heavier though to satisfy my taste. Nevertheless a very interesting album with great songs.
Similar sounding releases
1992Circle of DustCircle of Dust
1997Industry ElevenThe Days and Nights Surrounding Change
1994Under MidnightVoid
1997AutovoiceA Living Death
1993GenerationBrutal Reality
1999Eva ODamnation / Ride the MadnessMore from The Awakening
2002Roadside Heretics
2002Sacrificial Etchings (Selected Works 1996-2002)Request / Risen
1998Request
2001The Fourth Seal of Zeen
2004Darker Than Silence
