Axios is a progressive rock band from Algonquin, Illinois, formed in March of 2016. Being inspired by the emotion and expression within progressive rock, they were able to craft a masterpiece, the emotion bleeding from every instrument they touched to form "Erased", their debut album.
The album beings with a short intro song called "One’s Lament", a piano ballad that creates the foundation for the rest of the album. It transitions into the second song, "Pyramid". The bassline comes in for a few bars and is then joined by the drums, which build to the introduction of the guitar. The guitar riff is haunting and has a very Egyptian feel, something you could see a cobra dancing to. The vocals call out to the listener, sucking you into their world.
"Truth in the Lie Pt. 1" follows, a distorted guitar setting the atmosphere for the whispers to come in and send shivers down your spine. The song builds, and then drops off into another bassline, hit hats from the drums feeling as if someone is tiptoeing just outside your peripherals. The song begins to build again, starting with acoustic strumming and transitioning back to the distorted guitar, completing the ominous feel to the instrumental.
Unlike most sequels, "Truth in the Lie Pt. 2" does not disappoint. The song brings the tone down and the vocals make a return, creating a very emotional and soothing soundscape that you will never want to end. The song is polished with a fantastically emotional and beautiful solo, it fits perfectly within the scape.
The fifth song of the album is "Aftermath". It almost feels as though it is an extension to the previous song, though just like every song on the album, it can stand on its own and against time. The lyrics can connect with anyone, the backing instruments complementing the vocals beautifully.
The title track, "Erased", is comes next and brings back the creepy and ominous overtones. The intro to the song has a very haunting sound to the rhythm, the lead guitar coming over top to round out the tone. The vocals come in for a powerful performance, the discipline in the sound of the band sounds as though they have been creating music for years, comfortable with their range and ability. This song was the perfect choice for the title track.
"Don’t Pull Me Down" follows, starting with an uplifting guitar rift and drum line. The lyrics and vocals flip flop with the uplifting tone and a sad tone, starting with high spirits and bringing in some dark tones of being forsaken. "Don’t Pull Me Down" moves into With You in Mind, the opening feeling like a candle lit dinner by the riverside. Though the lyrics of the song are much sadder, singing about loss instead of a romantic dinner (probably a good choice, a romantic dinner would make a weird song).
"Haunted" is the ninth song of the album and is the perfect adjective for the tone of the song. The acoustic intro is nothing short of haunting, and the atmospheric sounds and vocals only add to the tone. The guitar solo is brilliant and technical, perfectly capturing the song within it. Each time you listen to this song you can hear something new, adding to the experience.
The album finishes with "Heavy Sleeper", a masterpiece finishing a masterpiece. There are no words to describe the song that haven’t already been used to many times to describe each other song. The only thing left to do is for you to listen to it.
Grab this album if you are a fan of Coheed & Cambria, Periphery, Tesseract or System of a Down, you will not be disappointed from what you hear.
Band Members:
Jake Mikolas - Guitar/Vocals
Ashley Tracey - Keys/Vocals
Kevin Coppola - Drums/Vocals
Blake Schwarz - Guitar/Vocals
Jake La Bahn - Bass/Vocals