Aosoth:

At this rate I can see the French one day stealing the crown from Norway in regards to innovative black metal. Aosoth continues to progress. They re what goes under the banner of orthodox black metal, which doesn't mean that they are more troo than you...though in some seem this could apply but it means the are theistic satanists, the beleif in Satan as god , or a more literal approach rather than the Lavey, you are your own god with are just secular humanists with a heavy dose of social Darwinism and cool window dressing.

With all that out Of the way sometimes this seems more like blackend deth metal Than black metal to me , it walks a pretty fine line . the title track that is ten minutes but when you have been listening to stuff like Fell Voices and Skagos ten minutes seems run of the mill. They have a more refined brutality here, the ralbum sounds great in the first song the bass is very present. the guitars have that very organic and creepy sound like Blut Aus Nord or Leviathan. the guitars are well layer and the focus isn't always on the blasting beneath it , but een when it is the throw a punch in here and there. The density and cavernous croak of the vocals feel more like death metal to me. Midway through when the song relaxes into a more ominous bath in the lake of damnation it drops down into just drums, which I could see being ritualistic in their intent. Watain feels more evil to me even after being on the cover of Revolver. This is a more laid back Satan being invoked here, though it might be a darker album than "Lawless Darkness".

They dive deeper into their abyss on "Temple of Knowledge" even though it general stays fast from the undercurrent of the drums their are dynamic variances with the tempo of the song and smartly arranged and accented. Another middle of the song break down which could be part of a larger pattern forming here occurs its less percussive but ritualistic none the less the atmosphere it creates, more meditative. Then in the last minute and a half they crawl out of their restless trance and take off into more of a gallop.

"Ritual Marks of Penitence" starts of with the ritual ambiance and swells out into a pound. One of the best guitar sounds this year, equal portions atmospheric and crunch. They know how to own the drone and create atmosphere with out having to just weird out and stray from the metal. The tribal drum break is a favorite on this album, more than often it's followed by nasty mcblasty variations. Here they sound more death metal to me but then again ost of the death metal I listen to us blackend something so the distinction can get warped with my perspective. Around the five minute mark it's begins to get too straight forward but they drop into another groove and solve that problem. This is the perfect soundtrack to the dark and rainy Friday afternoons of your life when, the fact it's the week end makes you want to gallop out of work but the gravity of depression still tugs at you. The drumming is not in a low swing at all, it's a superlative preformance , and this guy knows when to give the riffs room to breathe.

They remain relentless heralds of hell on earth with "Under the Nails and Fingertips" the chords keep ringing out with this to chilling shadow to them and the drummer reinforces the creativity he has invested itno this album.the bass reemerges to help drive the point home before they fall into the mass of blast. There are hints of chaos in their playing but they use more restraint than their countrymen in Deathspell Omega. Another mid song drum break down but this one is quick shoves into the current of the double bass that flows into the second act of this song.
By the end of the song I do begin to ponder my blast beat exhaustion I have seemed to reach as when they launch into one I am disappointed and think " oh but you are better than that. I expect so much more from you" I think with all the black metal I listen to it has me wanting To hear it employed Ina more original fashion.

"One With the Prince of a Thousand Enemies" is clear they have a defined intention of what they want to create are successful at doing so. This songs seems to take those elements and sit on them more than the other songs though there is a cool part midway through, where it breaks itno something more double bass centric and death metal in feel.
After making your way through the entire album the dissonance and darkness compensate for where melody would be, and it's often and ample substitute except for on a song like this where the more death metal undertones make it a tad claustrophobic. The broken dialogue interludes seem more like intros or outros than actual songs on their own. The samples are from horror movies one describes the crucifixion almost in an erotic bdsm manner.

I'll give this one a nine as its solid focused well executed and excels at every thing it sets out to do, the reason it's not a perfect album to me is almost more matter of personal taste, but as mentioned before some of the blaster moments felt like they were supposed to have gone into something cooler, which keeps this from being a perfect album. However much like people I can really enjoy it when I accept it for what it is.