Review Summary: Transported to the æther
Sit back, close your eyes, and imagine yourself in a dark room. You are relaxed. Maybe you’re in a bed, or maybe a sofa. Maybe you have an evergreen scented candle beside you to add to the ambience of your chosen space. You can hear the subtle blow of a cold winter wind, and the lights from the astral realm cast a dim illumination into the room in which you reside. If you want a soundtrack to this experience, then Apotheosis by Aethyrick is just the record for you. This Finnish duo know how to craft an aethereal soundscape that is sure to captivate the listener and transport them into their world.
This atmospheric black metal record wastes no time in setting the atmosphere for the 40min journey that you embark upon when giving this record a spin. “The Starlit Alter” sets the mood in traditional atmospheric black metal fashion, with a blast beat drums and a root to minor 6th chord progression. Lead melodies kick in and the recipe for an epic opener is complete. The verse kicks in with searing vocals and….what’s this?.....melodic bass lines that add to the song? But this is a black metal album…….. Needless to say, every bassist that listens to this record will shed a tear at this revelation.
The rest of the album follows suit with more of the same general vibe, but exploring different aspects of the sound under a more focused light. “The Rosery of Midnights” has a groovier feel to the structure, while the opening riff of “Flesh Once Divided” gives you a pulsing, adventurous feel that gives you the energy to scale a mountain. The closer “Path of Ordeal” sends you off with a near Amon Amarth style riff, somewhat resembling “The Dragons’ Flight Across the Waves” from their debut Once Sent from the Golden Hall. This energy is the perfect send off to the album and leaves you with a feeling of awe as the last notes fade into the stars.
When getting into the nitty gritty of the production on the album, there isn’t much to dislike. To the virgin listener one may have a grip with the unevenness of the kick drums, or the fizziness of the guitars, but to me these aspects add to the atmosphere of the record. I’d take the natural sounds of the drum kit over the highly triggered and processed “drums” that are so common in heavy music. The vocals are clear and annunciated, even intelligible without reading the lyrics. Overall this really is just a beautiful record that should be heard by any black metal fan, or fan of heavy music.
(On a side note, this album artwork belongs in a gallery, it is absolutely stunning)
