Metalcore, but more: AWS’ new album “Fekete Részem” is a raw but polished triumph

I have to confess: I’ve been waiting for this. Both the group’s Eurovision adventure and their previously released singles “Hol Voltál” and “X/0” promised great material in the pipeline and the boys didn’t disappoint.

The album kicks off with the anthemic title track “Fekete Részem” (Black Part Of Mine). The fresh and crisp sound grab you immediately. Giving the synths more space has had a great effect on the guys’ sound. You’ll note that Evanescence were doing something similar in recent times. Thumbs up for the gothic flair!

The haunting “X/0”, another quality track, leads you on a haunting journey. It’s somewhere between metalcore and gothic rock. The rhythm is tense and involves some great footwork from drummer Áron Veress. Soma’s bass playing is impressive too, seasoned with some slap pickings. You can read our in-depth review of the single here.

So, my thoughts about “Lakatlan Ember” (Uninhabited Man)? Well, this song is a screamo rant about (citing Örs’ words from the album release show) “how nothing makes sense in the world nowadays”. Metalcore on full throttle in the darkest and most depressed song of the album, with the lyrics depicting a living nightmare. I’m still wondering how Örs manages to switch back and forth between screaming and singing…

I move on to “Hol Voltál?”, another banger packed with anger and directed at people who have let us down. The driving in the music takes the listener away with the power of a storm. Our more detailed of the song is available here.

Next, we have the radio hit of the album, “Éjjeli Tánc” (Night Dance) — a pop-rock anthem that invites one’s significant other to a romantic getaway…a chance to “break free from the cage of your body” and to “hallucinatory happiness”. It’s refreshing to hear some major chords on the album. Given the positive vibe it’s no worry this has already entered the charts.

If I was floating in seventh heaven during “Éjjeli Tánc”, the boys put my feet back on the ground with “Kötelék” (Bond), a solid rock track about the broken bonds of the past, looking at the people who turned their back on us with a sense of nostalgia.

Next up we gradually get back to darker plains, with the metalcore track “Fuss!” (Run!), which depicts the thoughts of anyone who’s fighting with depression, saying “Life is a f*cking trap, and you’re its favorite toy”. Is there any light at the end of the tunnel?

There certainly is. Enter “Vigyázz Rám” (Watch Over Me), a song dedicated to anyone’s mom, asking her to keep watching over us for “another half century”. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with dedicating this radio-friendly track to your girlfriend either.

The positive vibe lasts, as I relax to the funky verses of “Menedék” (Shelter). But I begin to headbang as the song gradually evolves into a dynamic nu-metal bop. Coming back home, finding a shelter for the dark times…these topics are easy to embrace and come across well within this song that mixes different genres. Thumbs up to Bence and Dániel for bringing something different into an album dominated by distorted guitars.

Metalcore lovers are getting treated well, as “Egyedül Maradtál” (You’re Left Alone) is another rock-heavy track filled with aggressive drumming and guitar riffs. Örs’ screams and singing are well balanced here. If you were looking for a song about the fall of a man who you’d had high hopes for then this song is for you (lyrically, anyway).

“Éjféli Lány” (Midnight Girl) is a cover of a rock ballad by heavy metal veterans Ossian, who are one of the pioneers of the genre in Hungary. The song itself is about a mysterious girl appearing after gigs…

AWS close the album with their Eurovision track “Viszlát Nyár” and its acoustic version.

I have got to mention two more things. First, the cover art is great, and so are the newly styled renderings of the band’s name. Second, they’re going to release an EP of five of the songs in English, as a treat to their international fans (as Roni told us before their album release gig – see the interview above) so there’s a lot more coming.

To wrap this up, Fekete Részem is a solid and honest album. It may be built on a metalcore foundation but it isn’t afraid to experiment with other genres. The bubbles of positivity fit well in the generally dark atmosphere of the record with a raw but polished sound, which is a proof of high-level musicianship, Bence’s amazing mastering skills, and the chemistry of 5 awesome guys playing together. Well done lads, I can’t wait to hear more!

You can listen to all the songs here:

Do you like AWS’ new album? Are you looking forward to their English EP? Sound off in the comments below!