‘… for those who miss their heavy music feeling as though it could feature on the world’s coolest movie trailer, then Aleya could be the metal band for you…’
Arriving from the north-west England heavy scene, Aleya have been working at their craft since 2019, attempting to cultivate a sound that blurs the boundaries of the heavy scene’s many sonic realms. It is with their recent releases, however, that this lengthy process of hard work has begun to pay off, seeing support from Kerrang! and BBC Introducing, and undertaking a short run of headline shows across the north and midlands. All of this excitement is buoyed by the release of the band’s long-awaited sophomore EP.
Constructed around the broad theme of loss, ‘How It Ends’ pulls influence from a broad array of metal subgenres to produce something acutely timeless. Synth driven bridges that could have been penned in 2013 collide with modern deathcore breakdowns, moving through passages that are as catchy and anthemic as they are crushingly aggressive; it is expansive, yet remains deeply cohesive throughout, enabling the band to explore the many shades of loss with deftness and complexity.
‘SELF-TALK’ and ‘Sapphire Skies’ lean heavily in the electronic direction, with bright, bold synths buzzing against the jagged, arena-sized riffs; the latter of these tracks packs an immense breakdown that almost flirts with ideas one would have heard in the height of dubstep’s crossover. ‘Old Friends’ offers a far more cinematic and serene take on Aleya’s sound, placing Tom Evans’ fantastically powerful, versatile vocals at the forefront of luscious instrumentals that never forget when to bring back the aggression.
One of the major highlights of the EP is undoubtedly that of closing track ‘DEATH SPIRAL’, as the band push themselves into apocalyptically heavy territory. A frantic, cacophonous deathcore rager, the band utilise subtle orchestral elements alongside twitching electronics and jagged riffs to give the whole affair a nightmarish tension, before plunging into an absolutely nasty breakdown that consumes the bulk of the track’s back half.
‘How It Ends’ is an electrifying listen from start to finish, bringing a retro flair to metalcore ideas without ever feeling dated or uninspired; for those who miss their heavy music feeling as though it could feature on the world’s coolest movie trailer, then Aleya could be the metal band for you. Yet another fantastic addition to the ever strengthening heavy scene of north-west England.
RATING: 76/100
For Fans Of: We Came As Romans, Architects, Bring Me The Horizon, ERRA, Beartooth
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