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by Craig Hartranft, 01.10.2011
Appearance of Nothing wasted no time making a progressive metal impact with 2008's Wasted Time. Their sophomore offering All Gods Are Gone finds them in excellent form once more. AoN might even be progressing a little.
Perhaps All Gods Are Gone is a bit heavier than its predecessor, but the mix of melodic, power, and progressive metal is still sure. This well-developed mixture is a pure delight on the epic Sweet Enemy. The split vocals between Pat Gerber and Omar Cuna continue, with a deft mixture of clean and gruff vocals. Yet, AoN takes the obvious step by adding more severe, near death, vocals, with the guest appearance of Devon Graves (Psychotic Waltz) on Sweet Enemy and Dan Swano (ex Edge of Sanity/ Nightingale) on The Mirror's Eyes and 2nd God. However, it's hard to characterize Graves and Swano's as pure death/black vocals as they are not necessarily as harsh or bitter.
Excusing the death vocal embellishments if you wish, they real magic and entertainment here is in the breadth and depth of AoN's arrangements. With enough diversity and complexity within a pleasing melodic context, there is not a single bad song on All Gods Are Gone. After the aforementioned Sweet Enemy, ... I Said Silence, 2nd God, Destination are genuinely profound exercises in progressive metal. All Gods Are Gone is not one to be missed. Strongly recommended.
A follow up to their excellent premier, Appearance of Nothing's All Gods Are Gone is genuinely profound and entertaining progressive metal, and not to be missed.
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