AGLO is the Star Trek-inspired solo doom project from Aaron Osborne. Despite residing in Melbourne for many years, this man is more Canberra than Raiders Lime milk. Having been the driving force behind I Exist, Mental Cavity and other capital region heavy hitters, he has gone it alone in this project.
The guy likes to keep busy, recently joining Extortion’s return to the live scene on bass, as well as running the Oblivious Maximus podcast.
In the early tracks, the guitars are most striking, building up as the gruff vocals proceed along. Drums are provided by Colin Young of Twitching Tongues, who also mixed the album together with Osborne.
A self-confessed mega fan of bands like Eyehategod and Crowbar, AGLO has not deviated far from these inspirations. The lyrical inspiration comes directly from Star Trek, while general science fiction themes, such as the downtrodden rising up and using their Shame as a Weapon.
There is just over half an hour of dirge running through the record. The drums provide the platform to wind through each track before closing with Into the Maze. The occasional spoken word sample intersects proceeding, building up on the sci-fi vibes. The first track, Last Rites, even provides some cowbell at the midpoint before building up to further revered riffs.
The band recommends against resistance to worship at the altar of the Almighty Riff to be futile. If you’re a fan of crushing riffs, Star Trek or the combination of both at the same time, this is one for you.
AGLO: Facebook
Release Year: 2023
Label: Brilliant Emperor Records
Category: Album
Country: Australia
Reviewed by Daniel Boyle
