UMUR "Æon Spoke" is the 2nd full-length studio album by US alternative rock act Æon Spoke. The album was released through the SPV GmbH label in April 2007. 7 out of the 10 tracks featured on the album are re-recorded versions of tracks originally featured on the band´s debut full-length studio album "Above the Buried Cry (2004)". So this might be the band´s 2nd studio album, but it´s so and so with how much new material you are gonna get by purchasing this album if you already have "Above the Buried Cry (2004)". The versions on this album are of course re-arranged and re-recorded, but still. Æon Spoke was founded and is led by lead vocalist/guitarist Paul Masvidal and drummer/keyboard player Sean Reinert, who are also known for their work with Death, Cynic, and Portal (among others).

The music on the album is alternative atmospheric rock with Paul Masvidal melancholic, mellow, and fragile vocals as the focal point. The instrumental part of the music is slightly more active and also more interesting compared to the debut album, and that´s a great positive step for Æon Spoke. The sound production features an increased organic tone, which suits the band´s music well and "Æon Spoke" is overall a very pleasant and well sounding album. Within it´s vers/chorus structured form, the music is also relatively sophisticated with intriguing details popping up from time to time. So the material are for the most part pretty well written albeit slightly formulaic in structure.

While my initial reaction to releasing an album with 7 tracks already featured on another album wasn´t the most positive, I´ve been forced to think otherwise of that reaction after having listened to the re-recorded versions of the tracks. It´s not that they are significantly different from the original versions featured on "Above the Buried Cry (2004)", but the improved sound production and the better flow of this self-titled release, make the tracks shine more than they initially did. The 3 "new" tracks are also pretty great, so all in all this is a step up from the debut album and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Above the Buried Cry" is the debut full-length studio album by US alternative rock act Æon Spoke. The album was released through the Mercy Stroll label in October 2004. 7 out of the 10 tracks featured on the album were re-recorded and included on the band´s 2007 self-titled sophomore album. Æon Spoke was founded and is led by lead vocalist/guitarist Paul Masvidal and drummer/keyboard player Sean Reinert, who are also known for their work with Death, Cynic, and Portal (among others).

The music on "Above the Buried Cry" is very different from any of the above mentioned acts though and doesn´t feature anything that reveals that the two mainmen behind the project are usually associated with metal. The tracks on the album are vers/chorus structured and predominantly mellow alternative rock songs with Paul Masvidal´s pleasant and fragile vocals in front. It´s very straight forward with a slight melancholic edge, and it´s safe to say that this is as different sounding as it can be from the involved parties earlier output. The material are generally catchy and some tracks stick after the album is over, so there is a longivity to some of the tracks. It´s only some tracks that manage to stick out though ("Pablo at the Park" especially comes to mind) and there are quite a few that are forgotten as soon as they are over.

The sound production is clear and suits the material and all in all "Above the Buried Cry" is a professionally made album with a pleasant sound, but that´s about it. I´m not wildly impressed by the instrumental part of the music. There are little details here and there, that elevate some tracks to a higher level, but the instrumental arrangements are generally a bit dull and only seem to be there to back up the vocals. That´s of course the premise of much pop and rock music, but it´s a bit unusual to hear musicians of this caliber tone down their performances as much as they do here. For the style it´s a decent release and a 3 star (60%) rating is warranted, but don´t come to the album expecting anything else than a subdued alternative rock album with a slightly melancholic atmosphere featuring relatively simple arrangements and you won´t be disappointed.