Review Summary: A cold and spacey avant-garde extreme metal gem.
Esoctrilihum is truly “one of a kind” band. Not just because of the band’s unique sound, but also if we’d try to name another band from the same vein who could release two LPs in the same year, then I believe we’d run out of ideas very soon. Asthâghul, the sole member behind the project, has released two LPs, one EP, and a single in this year, which is an outstanding productivity in my opinion; but considering the complexity and heaviness of the entire Esoctrilihum discography, then it’s an admirable achievement as well.
Interestingly,
Saopth’s doesn’t seem to be strongly connected to its predecessor, the ferocious, mostly death metal-centric
Consecration of the Spiritüs Flesh. Instead, Asthâghul focused on the evocation of strange and mysterious atmospheres, in the expected otherworldly extreme style, relying on his signature weird blend of the avant-garde/black/death metal genres. The fast-forward “Hkl'rf”, opens the gates of hell, from where twisted and brutally heavy riffs storm the listener’s ears right from the beginning. But soon it gets clear that
Saopth’s is not exactly an exclusively guitar-driven record, since the various synthesizers are similarly important instruments throughout the album. Especially they are dominant in songs, such as “Furfhüth” and “Esuqy”, where these unusual synth melodies (I mean, they don’t feel melodic or immersive at first) have a crucial role in thickening the layers of the album’s cryptic and atmosphere. Generally the whole album is rich in ideas and full of impulses (many complex riffs, and tempo-changes, for example), and I especially enjoyed how consistently great and balanced this record is! Asthâghul’s haunting vocal performance, the synergy between the guitar and the synth melodies, supported by an ethereal, yet completely fully-sounding production: these are features of a truly brilliant and outstanding release, in my opinion.
Cold, spacey, alien, but gorgeous. The second full-length release by
Esoctrilihum in 2022 was definitely a very welcomed surprise. Personally I couldn’t believe it's possible to get above
Consecration of the Spiritüs Flesh in terms of quality, but
Saopth’s proved otherwise. Highly recommended for the lovers of atmospheric black metal, especially for those who might be interested in avant-garde as well.
