Ara Pacis
System Deceive
Label: Independent
Release Date: 15th April 2016
AraPacis hail from Montreal Canada and “System Deceive” is the band's fifth Album, it is a complete mixture of 1970s Progressive Rock combined with Hard Rock, Metal, Metalcore, and Doom Metal so obviously all combined together this makes their sounds vastly interesting, unique and a bit puzzling at times to be honest! Fronted by Shelle Macpherson and featuring a guest appearance from Metal legend John Gallagher of Raven this Album is a surprise, a pure Metal amalgamation of sounds that fully keep your attention.
Opening with the title track its deep, dirty, downtrodden riffs emanate from your speakers then Shelle McPherson’s vocals stun you, her raspy, sexy vocals astound you.
Like the sharpened claws of a Bengal tiger the sharp riffs slash their way into the room only for the track to go into a totally different direction, halfway through you are led into a dreamland of floating melodies this Progressive turn will surprise you, if you had left the room and returned you would seriously think you were on a different track, then Shelle returns the guitar and drums thunder to wake you from the brief slumber.
“Streets of Anger” is a totally different type of track to the opening song it’s lighter in tone and mood gently rocking you along as the band digs deep into a late seventies early eighties vibe, this would have been good driving in the countryside with the top down grooving to its melodic fusions. Onto track three “Extinction” its deep and moody belligerence hits you, but to be honest I think this should have come after the opener as it would have followed on nicely from there. Instead of the easy hard Rocking “Streets of Anger” This has to be my favorite song on this album, it has a deep and doom laden feel with Shelles wails ,like a tormented Demon snatched from the deepest pits of damnation and hurled at heaven gates.
” Extinction” is a creepy thudding song that would fit well on any Horror film score.
“Trespasser” is up next it’s a Classic Rocking number, and with its keyboards you get a vibe of Deep Purple ,and even a Ritchie Blackmore feel to the guitar solo delivered by Jerry Fielden. The theme of this Album changes again with the excellent “Lady Lonely” there are some deep down trodden blues flooding out of your speakers ,with the rasp of Shells vocals fitting the song like a diamond encrusted glove. “Engines of Despair” is drenched in a 70s feel, in fact it makes you think what hot summer LSD hazed days would have been like, added in with the superb vocals and guitars you get some Saxophone to totally amaze the listener.
“Labyrinth” with its cookie monster growls and clean vocals mixes it up to become one hell of a nightmare ,think Alice Coopers “Welcome to My Nightmare” together with the growls there is a hippy feel of daisy chains and the horror of a Charles Manson BBQ!
Final song “The Unknown” has the cello and light drumming to take you into the highest heavens, it's a nice song but a bit odd as a finish to an exemplary forward thinking diverse Album .
Formed in 2003 by guitarist Jerry Fielden, AraPacis have shared the stage with bands such as Anvil, Raven, Doro, etc.
Score : 9/10
NB: The Band name means The Ara Pacis Augustae (Latin, "Altar of Augustan Peace"; commonly shortened to Ara Pacis) is an altar in Rome dedicated to Pax, the Roman goddess of Peace
Tracklisting: Facebook Website
1.System Decieve
2.Streets of Anger
3.Extinction
4.Trespasser
5.Lady Lonely
6.Engines of Despair
7.Labyrinth
8.The Unknown
Members: Shelle Macpherson- Lead Vocals; Jerry Fielden - Lead Guitar, Synthesizers, Back Vocals, Bass, Mandolin -- Guests for album 5: John Gallagher - Bass; Steph Honde, Lead Guitar; JD Slim, Rhythm and Lead Guitar; Mel Leclerc, Saxophone; Marc Retson, Drums; Rachael Beaver, Cello; Rick L. Blues, Blues Harp; Isanielle Enright, back vocals; David Mc Gregor, clean male vocals; Tom "Thodrekr" Guevara, growl male vocals
