Iapetus – The Mother Void

To the uninitiated, melodic death metal must seem paradoxical and indeed in some cases, the term barely applies. This is certainly not so with American band Iapetus and their latest opus “The Mother Void”. It is the final chapter in a trilogy of albums dedicated to the tension between mortal existence and immortal space. The concept composed by the New York duo Matthew Cerami and Jordan Navarro is one of epic proportions.

Matthew handles vocals (harsh), guitars, bass, and arrangements, Jason is responsible for guitars, keyboards, and drum arrangements. For the clean vocals they employed the more than capable Fabienne Erni (Eluveitie, Illumishade). Making up the numbers, on drums the reliable Brody Taylor Smith (Satyr, Equipoise – Live) was drafted in.

Judging by this album the whole set must be something you can totally immerse yourself in. “The Mother Void” is the shortest of the three at a mere sixty-nine minutes. It consists of seven tracks including four long ones. It’s the shortest of all that gets things started with ‘Parturition’ which acts as an intro to the main story. I must admit, I had to google the word parturition, it simply means the process of giving birth. This now makes sense in the context of the album’s subject matter and Iapetus being the name of Saturn’s third largest moon. I digress; the track itself is ethereal with haunting vocalisation from Fabienne weaved into the fabric of this sonic calm before the storm.

The storm breaks with ‘The Mother Void’, the first of the album’s longer tracks. A brief drum roll ushers in a dense wall of sound and Matthew’s fierce vocals, while the seamless shifts into Fabienne’s mezzo-soprano parts are sublime. Serene passages appear throughout, including a short spoken-word section.

What stands out most is that the death metal element never overwhelms the album. The balance of harshness and melody appeals to me enormously, making the music more engaging and enjoyable. A perfect example of this approach is the seventeen-minute ‘Aniara’, where shifting passages bring fresh rewards as the track unfolds. There are also extra clean vocals from Ethan Navarro (brother of Jordan perhaps?) among this labyrinth of a song.

‘Red Giant’, the album’s first single, was also my introduction to the band. Its immediate appeal, particularly the contrast between the two styles, inspired me to write this review. If the style of the first minute had turned out to be the full twelve it would have been a different story. Fortunately, as it is, the pace and feel change many times throughout the track, just how I like it.

A short haunting piano piece entitled ‘Énouement’ gives a moment to relax and reflect before returning to the more intense stuff.

The album’s true behemoth, even among its other leviathans, is ‘TON’. At 18 minutes and 43 seconds, it is not only the longest track here but also the most complex. Across its many gear shifts, it features a guest vocal appearance from Frank Harper (Caelestra). At times, the track strongly recalls Ne Obliviscaris, a connection reinforced by an excellent guitar solo from that band’s Benjamin Baret. Around the midpoint, apocalyptic spoken lines evoke the death of the universe.

Compared with most of the album, the closing track, ‘The World Be Undone’, feels almost like a lullaby. This is achieved by pairing Fabienne’s gentle clean vocals with a male voice (probably Ethan again) over soft guitar accompaniment. A simple but effective easing through to the end of this amazing record.

After hearing this conclusion to the concept, I’m eager to explore the first two parts. Now that the trilogy is complete, I’m intrigued to see where Iapetus goes next. Whatever comes next, my expectations will be high, as it seems almost certain to be epic once again. In the meantime, I’m not tired of listening to this superb release yet and I may never be.

Track Listing:

1. Parturition
2. The Mother Void
3. Aniara
4. Red Giant
5. Énouement
6. TON
7. The World Be Undone