2006-11-27
Norway's Aeternus is one band that somehow seems to be destined to remain underground, despite their long 13 year-old career the band has not reached the fame and fortune reserved for similarly themed death/black metal bands of their ilk, despite attaining quite an underground cult status. I have to admit, though I've heard their name a few times in the past, I've yet to really listen to any of their releases, before this one, the band's 6th full length.
I was more than pleasantly surprised, this isn’t overly complex, it doesn’t try to be something more than it is, and what it is – is a fine blackened death metal album with a lot of atmosphere and some really good songs. I also liked the fact the band doesn’t overstay it's welcome, its just 9 songs, clocking at about 4 minutes each; fast, quite brutal, with some great riffs and deep growled vocals courtesy of mainman Ares.
After two fast and furious tracks the band seems to sharpen its experimental edge with "The 9th Revolution", starting out like avant-garde black metal and then going into dark and quite melodic death, it's quite unique, feels different somehow, and works great. The melodic, almost ethnic, lead is a fine addition as well.
In some tracks the guys put the peddle to the metal, "Punished" pours on the blast-beats before some fine blackened riffs with the deep growls, some great riffs in there too. I actually liked the fact the band does not restrict itself to either black or death metal, but rather creates a strange amalgam of both, it works.
It's always a pleasant surprise to hear something like this, a band whose rep in the underground is quite well substantiated, nothing more than a good metal album, and that is quite enough.
Alon Miasnikov
