CHTHONIC is derived from the Greek god of the underworld with the phonetic translation into Mandarin as Shan-ling.CHTHONIC seeks to bring ancient legends and myth into the modern era. There is much sadness in this eastern island of Taiwan,especially some of Taiwan's lost history which extends back 1,000 years but was destroyed as Han Chinese came to the island500 years ago. The arrival of this group subjugated native and aboriginal culture to the margins. Nearly 1,000 years of historydisappeared as quickly as smoke and fire. With every spirit there are taboos, tales, and traditions. CHTHONIC s ...read more
CHTHONIC is derived from the Greek god of the underworld with the phonetic translation into Mandarin as Shan-ling.CHTHONIC seeks to bring ancient legends and myth into the modern era. There is much sadness in this eastern island of Taiwan,especially some of Taiwan's lost history which extends back 1,000 years but was destroyed as Han Chinese came to the island500 years ago. The arrival of this group subjugated native and aboriginal culture to the margins. Nearly 1,000 years of historydisappeared as quickly as smoke and fire. With every spirit there are taboos, tales, and traditions. CHTHONIC seeks to resurrectthese old spirits and legends, drawing inspiration and reviving these myths, as well as start building new legends.CHTHONIC's melodies can be characterized as extreme metal with a central inspiration and folklore coming from the black metalmovement. CHTHONIC uses the traditional Oriental stringed instrument er-hu, which can be compared to an eastern violin. Thesound of the er-hu is one of grief and sorrow, which CHTHONIC accompanies with heavy drums and guitar strings blending intoharmony. The music flows with the tempo of ancient mythology, and often, through lyrics, conveys an abbreviated version of atraditional myth or legend. Freddy Lin, lead vocalist, uses his voice to tear and rip melodies, using both ancient and modernlanguage and energy, which mix easily with the music. The music swings from cool despair to the heat of shock and anger. Bywavering between these emotions, CHTHONIC is unparalleled in the world of black metal song composition. « hide
