Reviews – Nucleus of Chaos (2024)
Jenny Tate – Rock Queen Reviews
Single Review: The Park
“The Park” opens on a heart-warming keyboard tone, soon joined by a gentle guitar riff and soft vocals. The track builds gradually, layering emotion and complexity. A beautiful blend of progressive rock and melodic metal.
Single Review: Let in Love
“Let in Love” is a hauntingly beautiful ballad that showcases Michelle Macpherson’s vocal range and emotional depth. The arrangement is lush and cinematic, with Jerry Fielden’s guitar work weaving through the melody like a thread of light.
Album Review
“Nucleus of Chaos” is a bold, genre-blending album that defies expectations. From the progressive intricacies of “Grip It” to the raw power of “Symptomatic Reactions,” AraPacis proves once again that they are masters of musical storytelling.
BraveWords
AraPacis continues to push boundaries with “Nucleus of Chaos.” The album features guest appearances from Derek Sherinian and Phil Mius d’Entremont, adding depth and texture to an already rich soundscape. Michelle Macpherson’s vocals are commanding, and the songwriting is both ambitious and accessible.
Metal Maidens
With “Nucleus of Chaos,” AraPacis delivers a powerful statement. The album is a fusion of metal, prog, and gothic elements, anchored by strong performances and thoughtful lyrics. Standout tracks include “Epitaph Epiphany” and “Misplaced Manifesto.”
Famille Rock
Famille Rock praises AraPacis for their fearless creativity and musical evolution. “Nucleus of Chaos” is described as “a sonic tapestry woven with emotion, intellect, and fire.” The band’s Montreal roots shine through in their authenticity and passion.
Fierce and Loud – Stephen
AraPacis’ Nucleus of Chaos is praised for its bold fusion of heavy metal, progressive rock, and gothic textures. Michelle MacPherson’s vocals are described as “a mix of Anneke van Giersbergen and Janis Joplin,” while Jerry Fielden’s guitar work channels Rainbow, Sabbath, and Rush. The album is called “an ambitious and rewarding listen.”
Transcending the Mundane
AraPacis’ Nucleus of Chaos is featured in issue #53 of Transcending the Mundane, praised for its genre-defying ambition and emotional depth. The review highlights the album’s fusion of progressive metal, gothic textures, and personal storytelling.
MetalUniverse.net – Marc Desgagné
MetalUniverse.net highlights AraPacis’ Nucleus of Chaos as a bold fusion of old-school heavy metal and modern progressive rock. The review praises the album’s nostalgic 80s/90s vibe, standout guest appearances like Derek Sherinian on “Let in Love,” and the band’s unique blend of Montreal-rooted grit and global ambition.
Seb Di Gatto – The Metal Gods Meltdown
“Nucleus of Chaos” is a thunderous release from AraPacis. The album opens with “Grip It,” a track that grabs you by the throat with its raw energy and progressive flair. Michelle Macpherson’s vocals are fierce and emotive, while Jerry Fielden’s guitar work channels classic metal with a modern twist. “Symptomatic Reactions” and “Let in Love” showcase the band’s dynamic range, blending heavy riffs with haunting melodies. Guest appearances from Derek Sherinian and Phil Mius d’Entremont add depth and texture. AraPacis continue to evolve, and this album is a testament to their fearless creativity and musical integrity.
Facebook Fan Reviews
André Philippe – December 13, 2024
"AraPacis’ latest album is crazy beautiful. This band persists in signing its pieces with its own persona aura and SOUND. This is a band that looks forward but hangs on to its past footprints."
The Viking in the Wilderness – December 14, 2024
"We get a bit of melodic metal here, songs that are darker and heavier that remind ever so slightly of Black Sabbath... a venture in the blues rock realm to boot."
Kim Eisen – Facebook Review
Full Album Review
Album Title: Nucleus Of Chaos
Artist/Band Name: AraPacis
Released: November 25, 2024
Genre: Metal (Prog/Doom) and Hard Rock
Label/Production: Bullseye Records of Canada, Inc
For those looking for an expressive album that fuses progressive and hardcore metal with other genres, such as blues, and even international Arabic sound influences, look no further than the November 2024 release of Nucleus Of Chaos, by Montreal’s own AraPacis.
AraPacis is primarily Jerry Fielden (lead guitar, synths, mandolin, backing vocals) and Michelle Macpherson (lead vocals). Also included on this album are Jean Audet (bass), Scott Haskins (drums), and featuring for the very first time on any AraPacis album is Jerry and Michelle’s young teenage son, Gillan Macpherson-Briggs (keyboards).
Jerry Fielden has a very long history in the Canadian music scene, dating back to the 1970s, which leads me to the first track of the album, “Let In Love”. Originally, this song was written and recorded back in 1982, by Jerry’s former band Riser. Not knowing that when I first listened to it, I felt the song had an old-school vibe, so I wasn’t surprised to learn its history. This is one of my favorite vocals for Michelle, as well. Her vocal range and sound will pull you in, make you want to listen closely to the lyrics, which always helps to make a song stand out for me.
Another old-school-style song comes from the second track, “The Park”. This one also originally came out of Jerry Fielden’s late 1970’s Montreal band, Blade. This is what I would consider a hair metal song. I felt that both songs were a great opening to this album, because each one has familiar influences that you can hear, like RUSH, but with Michelle Macpherson’s vocals making them stand on their own merit.
“Grip It” is the third track and where we hear the fusion of the metal sound with Arabic sounds. At first, the vocals sound traditional Arabic, repeating the phrase “tamasak beh”, which translates to “grip it” or “hold onto it”. Then, the song begins to change to a heavier sound, and by the chorus, the vocals morph into something that almost sounds demonic. With the fact that this song is composed using the Maqam Rast Scale, the vocal style just works and brings all parts of the song’s composition (vocals, guitars, bass, drums) together in a cohesive way.
The fourth and fifth tracks, “Epitaph Epiphany” and “Symptomatic Reactions” are where we get a showcase to Jerry and Michelle’s son on keyboards. I have watched Gillan (named after Ian Gillan of Deep Purple) grow up on social media since he was very little, so to get to hear him playing on the album is a real treat. To learn keyboards, he was mentored by David Stone, formerly of the band Rainbow. Both songs are slower tempo songs, with “Symptomatic Reactions” being the heavier sounding of the two. Each song gives the listener a chance to really take in the keyboards and guitars. Gillan is featured on keys for every song on this album, except “Let In Love”. Those keys are covered by guest keyboardist, Derek Sherinian. Gillan will also be on the band’s next album and has already begun recording those tracks. He has quite a music career ahead of him, if he chooses to stick with it, and I hope he does.
The sixth track on this album is where Jerry and I vibe the most, because we are both big fans of the blues. Based on a true story, “Lost In South Bend” opens with the classic blues guitar riffs. But the major standout on this song was the unexpected vocals that Michelle delivers. While she does sing on parts of the song like a traditional blues singer, she also blends that with her signature metalcore screams and growls. This is not your everyday blues song, but it is really cool to hear the mix and to be surprised by almost every aspect of this song. It also tells me that Michelle Macpherson is capable of singing various genres of music, giving her a well-deserved edge in her craft.
The final two tracks are no less interesting than the rest of the album. Starting with the album’s title track, “Nucleus Of Chaos”, and ending with “Misplaced Manifesto”, we are back to blending the hair metal sound with the progressive metal sound. The songs are definitely uplifting, while making you want to rock out at the same time. The fact that this album begins with this kind of metal fusion, then takes you into more experimental sounds, but ties it all together in a neat package by wrapping it up how it started, was an excellent choice.
Overall, I would give this album high marks for creativity and cohesiveness, but it’s the musicianship that can really be heard and appreciated. Nucleus Of Chaos is an album that every metal fan and those interested in experimental sounds should own. You can order your copy at www.arapacis.com. Be sure to also join the band’s mailing list and follow them on their social media platforms so you don’t miss out on the next album! Because AraPacis is an indie band, not backed by big record label money, there is a GoFundMe for the next album, Alignment Of Sins. Follow this link to donate: AraPacis GoFundMe.
— Kim Eisen (Facebook Review)