Do you ever wonder what happens when a musician perfectly executes an idea into an art? Like it just leaves you in awe, wondering how it’s possible to turn a mere idea into something so vast, grand, and epic? Codemachia’s Gladius Æternus is the exact manifestation of that.
Gladius Æternus is more than an album, it’s an experience—and a really good one. And the catch? All 14 tracks are not just a concept, it feels closer to a vision. It’s the type of curation that gives you exceptional storytelling, like opening up a portal of another universe, then seeing the future of the one you’re living in.
Awakening in the Ashes is not just an opening track, it’s an ignition. Not with heavy, booming sounds, but with the dramatic strokes on the strings. At first, the bow glides like it’s slowly triggering the spark with its fluidity. It then leads to more haunting, powerful strokes, accompanied by beats that charge forward.
Astou’s First Fall ties you in with unsettling layers of instruments. While the vocals carry that light, airy sound into it, there’s a brooding heaviness forming underneath, enough to pull you in and catch you off guard. After whatever this track established, Dance of Broken Circuits quickly swept it away. It barges in through electronic, kinetic beats that invite movement.
Poisoned Victory comes in with an orchestral tapestry that is monumental. It goes beyond your ears, lingering all over while sending shivers down your spine. It leaves you a question: are victories truly a victory? Or is it just a glorified term to let you forget that victories come at a price that’s too heavy to bear, and there’s no such thing as winning at all.
Shadow Weaver sounds exactly like its name with a relentless speed. And by speed, it means it. It’s not dizzying but enough to make you feel like you’ve just run for kilometers without stopping. The adrenaline you’ll get from this track is immense, but surprisingly, it’s not overwhelming at all.
The Convergence hooks you in with its evocative intro. And it legit feels like the one that plays as the movie builds towards the climax. It lives up to its name, with layers built on colliding currents from tensioned waves of emotions.
The lead single, We are the glitch feels like what would happen if the world turned into a digital dystopia—and no, it’s not the type that simply sings about it, it’s the resistance, the rebellion against it. The vocals started off ethereal, and believe me when I say it sounds like heaven’s gate opening up. The violin slashes and rushes with it, cutting through the noise, making a path for the voice that emerges from above. After that celestial intro, the track builds into a cinematic explosion, intense and urgent like it’s straight from the climax of a movie.
One thing about this album is its richness. The way it’s not something you’ll hear everyday makes it more special. Every track carries not just a majestic arrangement but an epic story. Its rebellious energy amplifies its cinematic core, like fighting out a system that hasn’t really existed yet.
It’s very telling why Gladius Æternus is the official soundtrack of a novel that bears the same name. The massive orchestral and electronic drop doesn’t just mirror the novel, it extends its scope while being one with every page.
It’s fair to say that Codemachia has a way of breathing life into an idea. And the growing discography is an indication that everyone should really watch out for more of this exceptional release.
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[…] Gladius, βρίσκεται σε απόσταση 2,3 ετών φωτός από τη Γη και περιστρέφεται γύρω από έναν ερυθρό νάνο αστέρα, τον Aeter…. Το μέγεθός του είναι περίπου ίσο με αυτό της Σελήνης, […]