My Aesthetic Perfection education is pretty ass backwards. I was introduced to them when the Cabaret album was unleashed (Our review of Imperfect is here), covered the most recent EP (Which you can read here) and THEN was introduced to A Violent Emotion through a Spotify playlist within the last couple of months. In conclusion, my frame of reference for Aesthetic Perfection is everywhere!
But I digress!
I liken Aesthetic Perfection and Daniel Graves’ musical growth to that of Bring Me The Horizon as both artists tend to be friggin’ polarizing as all hell! Which is a great thing. Being on the aforementioned A Violent Reaction kick, lately I can hear the hints/touches of that earlier work but there’s also those Cabaret flourishes and so much more that Ebb and Flow hinted at when released last year.
On Into The Black, Graves creates a veritable greatest hits package for Aesthetic Perfection by touching on all these aspects of the collective AP personality and more. “Gods & Gold” has those Violent tendencies if you really reach for it but it’s also grounded by a serene croon from Graves during the chorus and bulked up by Rammstein/Emigrate guitarist Richard Z. Kruspe throughout (Another example of an artist breaking the mold from which they were known for).
“Wickedness” pulsates as this club-ready jam goes to the dancier side of the AP musical spectrum and “No Boys Allowed” follows suit with this nightmarish sing/song Electro anthem. “Supernatural” hits a softer stride as this smooth yet succulent slice of synthesized sleekness sashays into your headspace.
“We Wake Up” brings back that BMTH reference from earlier and is akin to their latest and the collaboration with Grimes where they just go for it on a track that’s so out of the norm for them. And like BMTH, AP also make it work. Really well. “If I Die” is another along those lines in that it’s so outside the norm meshing headbanging with booty shaking. Think Fall Out Boy guesting on Nine Inch Nails’ Pretty Hate Machine.
Then “Saint Peter” brings back the BEATS on a track that would easily fit alongside any number of modern Darkwave luminaries currently on the Negative Gain Productions roster. “YOLO” drops next and is like Front Line Assembly in their early thirsty daze which leads into “Mourning Doves”, a somber ditty filled with ’80’s tinged guitar solos and Graves’ heavenly croon providing a synthetic blanket over a fitting coda to an album that is electronic, ahem, perfection.
Into The Black will be available on March 29th and you can grab yours by clicking here to join Daniel Graves’ Patreon or clicking here to get your grubby little paws on physical copies or here for the digital instant gratification. And! Be sure and follow Aesthetic Perfection on social media for the latest and greatest news by clicking here and here.
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