Album Reviews : The Pax Cecilia – Blessed are the Bonds

In the past year I have noticed my music tastes have changed considerably (don’t worry, i’m still a metalhead!). My mind has been opened to a lot of music I had unfairly dismissed without a chance. So this new window of amazing music was unlocked by the stunning classical inspired post-rock band Sigur Ros. And from this onto bands such as Isis, Pelican and others taking inspiration from many angles and turning them into what is commonly known as post-metal/ rock.

It is bands like these that New York’s The Pax Cecilia have also drawn considerable inspiration from. Think Progressive Metal meets Art Rock meets Classical. Immediately the band appears class, with a superb and very suitable cover design on the album’s digipack for the music that’s to come.

With heavier guitar driven songs complementing ambient and operatic ones, the band leads the listener through various feelings and senses before the build up of each song meets its crescendo with a collage of images racing through your mind in emotive bliss.

My personal favourite off the album is track 7 titled ‘The Tree’, where catchy bass and drumming rhythms lay a solid basis for the track, with strings and guitars used to accentuate the sound and pick up the pace of the song. Metal fans will probably find the most joy in the tracks titled ‘The Machine’ and ‘The Progress’ where a more evil sounding streak within the bands comes forth.

The Pax Cecilia currently has the full album for free download from their website (http://www.paxcecilia.com/) and is a must not only for fans of the post-metal/rock sound, but also for heavy metal fans looking for a bit of diversity in their musical jaunts. And as far as I know they are still unsigned, which I think is a travesty given the obviously talent that is apparent within the band, matched with the self promotion they have done by freely distributing this album. 8/10

Band: The Pax Cecilia
Album: Blessed are the Bonds
Year: 2007
Genre: Ambient/Metal/Classical
Label: Independant
Origin: USA
http://www.myspace.com/thepaxcecilia

Track Listing:
1. The Tragedy
2. The Tomb Song
3. The Progress
4. The Machine
5. The Wasteland
6. The Water Song
7. The Tree (Reviewers Choice)
8. The Hymn