Aiden - Self Titled
 

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After 11 years and seven albums Aiden releases their eighth and final LP for free as a final farewell to fans.

And what an album it turned out to be.

In short it's an unapologetic, loud and triumphant farewell to a band whose style has always been a "you either love it or hate it" kind of affair.

Thanks to the combination of heavy, yet intricate and well played guitars, the non-stop-face-punching drums and the rawest, darkest, most confident vocal performance Wil Francis has ever displayed, Aiden is without a doubt the heaviest piece of work to come from the band.

On a technical level the record is William Francis' best production job to date, which is saying a lot coming off the back of the wonderful Neuromancer.

The drums are performed by Keef West with Falling in Reverse drummer Ryan Seaman appearing as a guest and their heart-attack beats are as rapid and accurate as an automatic weapon.

The guitars are performed by Ian Macwilliams and Wil Francis as well as long time William Control live band member Kenneth Fletcher on bass. The guitars were the most surprising thing on this album for me. I was struck by how... well... metal they sounded, occasionally evoking memories of Ascendancy era Trivium

As for Wil Francis' vocals let me break it down to the performance and the lyrics:

The performance:
I was expecting Wil to go hard with the final record but damn, the confidence and ferocity with which he rips through the album's vocals is impressive in and of itself. Make no mistake, Wil Francis' voice sounds like it always has; he's just wielding it in a more confrontational, give-no-****s, triumphant way than he has before. Which is quite the statement since the man has never given a ****. And yet occasionally in tracks like Eternal Halloween we see the influence of Francis' solo project William Control which is a real treat for fans of both acts. Add to this a guest appearance from Ashestoangels' Krilly on New Grave and you have a really fun variety of pace and sound on the vocal front.

The lyrics:
They're... well they're Aiden lyrics. Sometimes a little corny, sometimes poignant, and always fun. If you like Aiden's style, you'll like this. If you hate them with a passion, this album won't convert you.

For me the confidence and tongue-in-cheek self awareness of the album is intoxicating. It's fun, the tone isn't too serious. It's a going away party, a triumphant farewell from a band that's never apologized for being what it is.

I for one will be dancing my ass off to this when they tour the UK.

You can download the album and Aiden's entire back catalog for free from their official site: aiden.org

Album Title: Aiden

Artist: Aiden

Release Date: 31/10/2015

Genre: Horror Punk

Tracklist:

1: Crawling Up From Hell
2: Violence and Devotion
3: New Grave
4: Standing Alone
5: Eternal Halloween
6: Animals
7: No Gods
8: Incinerate
9: Pure Horror
10: Sins of A Father
11: The Ceremony
12: Love like a Cemetery
13: Bring The Knives

thanks for the a quick reaction