Augury Album Review

Augury – Fragmentary Evidence

Nuclear Blast, 2009

7/10

Augury is currently being hailed as the new god of progressive, technical death metal, so does reality match with the hype? Well, not quite. Fragmentary Evidence certainly is a quality album, but I’m hesitant to heap lavish praise upon it. “Aetheral” is an average track to open the album, but this is followed by “Simian Cattle” and “Orphans Of Living”, two impressive tracks that feature a variety of musical and vocal stylings. Things go downhill from here, as the constant mix of thrash riffage, bass-neck fret-walking, and acoustic interludes begin to blur. By the time the 11 minute-long closer “Oversee The Birth” come around I’ve lost track of what I’ve heard. There’s a lot to be impressed by on Fragmentary Evidence, however – flawless, technical playing, thoughtful songcraft, and imaginative arrangements. This only carries the album so far, and what’s lacking are memorable songs and riffs. My other general complaint is that the vocals, especially the growling, are often buried in the mix. Despite the misgivings, Augury have written a good album that show they have a lot of promise. Augury don’t yet rise to elite status in the death metal genre, but they will undoubtedly draw lots of new fans in with this release.

Augury has two upcoming shows in St. Paul at Station 4. October 10, they will be supporting God Dethroned alongside Abigail Williams, Woe Of Tyrants, and Sangre Mal. They will be back on November 15 supporting Vader with Decrepit Birth, The Amenta, Warbringer, and Success Will Write Apocalypse Across The Sky.