Review: Gemini One- Per Aspera
Gemini One are an aspiring Instrumental duo from Germany formed in 2009 who play a self described mixture of post rock and doom metal (informed by post metal, sludge, and other genres). Their recent EP, Per Aspera, was just released, and features four songs that not only deliver on the promise that such a description would entail, but a whole lot more.
The first song, “CVII”starts out with a mellow, almost jazzy intro that recalls some of the best of ambient post rock. The dry and almost clean though droning heavy guitar makes it an interesting contrast with the booming drums and bass. A heavier part ensues with slightly more dissonance as the song develops and then it goes back to an almost autumnal melancholy.
The second song, "Primum Sanguis" starts out with a simple bass figure that turns into a more distorted and (somewhat) more energetic (for a style this slow that is) riff pattern than the previous song and in a far more sludgy way. This song is a bit more standard than the previous one in a way, but the heaviness definitely does not let it be trudged down into pedestrian territory. Some more ambient overdubs permeate the mix, and it’s remarkable how much is attained by a band featuring only two people!
"Per Aspera" is the third track and is in the doomier direction though it then features some softer almost funeral doom sections that occasionally take me back to the days of the underrated 90s band Disembowelment in a way. Slow and deep riffs keep the heaviness coming.
"Ad Astra" is the last track, and a simple soft figure of bass and drums introduces the song and almost has a triumphant feel with it’s figures. Though a hint of sadness makes it’s way at the end as one is hurled into deeper realms of the universe.
Also interspersed throughout the ep are NASA samples, unsurprisingly, as the band also proclaims in their bio “The EP is dedicated to all the people, who made sacrifices on scientific, progressive and human grounds – no matter if voluntary or non-voluntary. They are proof that something big can emerge from pain and that setbacks keep us moving. We bow to all of them, because they are the ones paving our way the way to the stars.”
An obvious concept album, Per Aspera takes the listener to outer cosmic realms with it’s intensely deep bass figures and evolving melodies.
One thing that stood out to me about Gemini One was how the various interweaving melodies and figures become entrapped in your brain, manifesting a catchiness that is often hard to attain for this genre. I would definitely recommend them to anyone into this style of metal, as they are able to combine their varying elements into a very coherent whole.
This immensely creative duo of visionary musicians definitely has a bright future ahead of them, and it will be interesting to see what places they can take the listener to next. You can get more information on Gemini One from the following links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/geminititanone/
Bandcamp: https://geminione.bandcamp.com/music
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