Vulpecula – In Dusk Apparition
Chuck Keller has officially ended Vulpecula. This release contains music recorded between 1996-1998 but still sounds very different from “Fons Immortalis”. “Fons…” was an incredibly melodic black/thrash album with a dense atmosphere and trance inducing riffs. “In Dusk Apparition” could be described in a similar sense. So what is the difference? Perhaps that the songs on “In Dusk…” are less aggressive and more rhythmic and tonal. “Eltanin Shadowcast” thrives on a great rhythmic riff acting almost as the theme for the whole song before moving into a chaotic frenzy of chord and lead trade offs underlined by a drone (specifically around the 6:30 mark) from the depths of outer space. “Celestial” offers more technical moments and more changes but retains the same foundation as the first song delving into the same non-existent (but recognizable) boundaries that Chuck sets for himself. “Culmination” is the closest song we get to the material on “Fons….” with the tracks bizarre melodic qualities and movements ending with a lost transmission from another dimension, which carries into the epic closer “Apparition”. It really is unfortunate that Vulpecula are no more. “Fons Immortalis” marked a great beginning as a challenging and valuable listening experience. “In Dusk Apparition” is a great album and something to be thankful for but it doesn’t leave Vulpecula with the sort of accomplishment I believe Keller deserves. While his involvement with Ares Kingdom is demanding, his creative force shouldn’t diminish or be abandoned with Vulpecula. I would hope he decides to continue what he began and gains the recognition and respect he deserves as a notable metal veteran. “In Dusk Apparition” isn’t a bad place to end and it doesn’t leave a sour taste behind. It just serves as a constant reminder to how much promise this man has as a songwriter. – TRA
INVICTICUS
Worm Gear 