AKHLYS : "House of the Black Geminus"

 The last album I reviewed for this project was the 2015 album "The Dreaming". I was not too impressed by that one it got a 6.5. Things have changed in the past 9 years. They are darker and more intricate in the layering of sounds, at least on the opening track of their new album. Debemur Morti Productions has been pretty reliable when it comes to black metal so let's see if this album holds up. When things kick in, it is clear this project is very angry, the vocals are about as pissed as black metal gets. There is some ebb and flow so it is not all blasting, so we are off to a good start here. Darkness and dynamics are the two key ingredients I require in black metal and these guys go their shit together on it. You would never guess these guys are from Colorado. I am not sure if this song needs to be almost twelve minutes long as I think I got what they are cooking about eight minutes in. 

By the second song, they are hitting you with a dense blasting that is layered with other sounds so you are distracted by what you are being hit with. It's a big sound that carries some nice dissonance, though not the most dynamic thing I have heard today as it largely locks on with its teeth and drones from there. They are a little more deliberate on "Through the Abyssal Door". It works with an almost singular pulse that attacks from different angles. The title track is just a long ambient interlude. After this, they roar back with a more syncopation outburst of anger. It only takes a minute for its momentum to begin to run away with it. The vocals are accented in a manner that gives it a bigger marching feel. But the question becomes can they keep this up for ten minutes? Do they need to ? 

There is a more grandiose atmosphere to the last song though the bubbling undercurrent of blast beats feels like the song is wrestling against itself. Should it conform to the expectations of black metal or will it be allowed to grow into its own beast? Conformity is what it leans closer to. I appreciate the creepy melody that crawls over it. I will give this album an 8.5, which is a long way from their last album. This album drops on July 5th. 

House of the Black Geminus by Akhlys/>

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Black Metal History Month - Aoratos :"Gods Without Name"

Naas Alcameth from Nightbringer and Akhlys bring to us this piece of darkness. The first track is more of an intro an less of a song than "Holy Mother of  Terror" . The emphasis is on double bass rather than blast beats. You might think this gives them a more death metal sound , but that is not the case. The vocals have more of a scowl to them. They have a icy atmosphere draped over the album. At times it reminds me of a less straight forward Immortal. The vocals have less of a croak and the epic thrash riff are not there. By the 3rd song they are pouring on almost too much speed for their own good, though things have a disturbing dissonance that makes up for this. The vocal go into almost a more Cradle of Filth like rasp.

They continue to pour on the double bass before things get creepy for the title track. Between the guitars and the synths they are throwing a lot at you quick. While this is very dark, I think it's angrier than melancholy. The vocals get nastier in their intent on this one. They do use blast beats, but not in the same droning manner of bands who want to be Darkthrone do. By the time we get to "Thresher" the novelty is beginning to wane and the way the came out you full speed ahead, makes everything a blur. Sure if you listen closely there are some nuances. But are they enough to make this stand out from all the other extreme metal bands that throw the kitchen sink at you at 200 mph. Then the more fury ridden blasting comes going into "the Watcher on the Threshold".  The signature double bass comes in and give more breathing room, though it's more in your face than a dynamic ebb. It done better than the riffs rained down upon your ears in the previous song. I can see where this might be what your average fan of black metal might want.

Things get darker and more melodic for "Dead Spirit of the Place". This gives them a more original sound of their own, though it does depart from the more traditional trappings of black metal aside from the rasp of the vocals . I'll round this album up to an 8. It is not likely to get many more listens from me , but I can appreciate it for what it is and it's really dark black metal which is the way it should be, I just feel it relies on speed to much for my personal tastes, though it's well done.

AKHLYS : "The Dreaming"

We come to this album which was released back in April to catch up on all the things we might have missed, this one has thus far appeared on a few end-of-the-year lists so it merited giving it a listen. Naas Alcameth who brought you Nightbringer blasts into this project after an extended intro of a minimalist atmosphere. The first phrase screamed as he dreamed. The darkness is very tangible on this album, but if not for the perfect timing of me clicking back onto their Bandcamp page then it would have just sounded like they sped up and grew more intense as the second song bleeds out of the first. The challenge with harsh growls is making sure the vocal patterns do not all sound the same. They use dissonant chords in a very similar way as well creating a monochrome blackness, that while is convincingly evil sounding also begins to all sound the same. It is impressive that something this fiendish sounding came out of America, whose black metal tends to be more punk-influenced. 

 The first of the two songs on this album that are over ten minutes and the album's longest it's apparent where the fat could have been trimmed in the mixing of 'Consummation" as its two minutes into before the tidal wave of double bass rolls in and the last two minutes of church music that sounds like it could have been lifted from a horror movie, that would have brought this down to twelve minutes. In this song, they create a sound that distinguishes this one from the previous blast fests. The rather angular guitar melody that echoes out in the verse adds to the hellish ambiance and the drummer really pays attention to detail and deviates from the kind of beats you would expect from black metal. Ten minutes in and the double bass is still going I am not sure if it justifies a ten-minute length much less six more minutes."The Dreaming Eye" finds this project descending back into blast beats and retreading ground we have already stomped across.

 Overall the idea of this album and the sounds we are giving to build this idea of what it could be if the songwriting was given more room to explore the bounds outside of the color by numbers black metal is better than what is the final result. It has plenty of moments, it is certainly dark enough and angry enough to please less discriminating fans of black metal, but if we are talking about the best metal or even black metal albums of the year this one is not in the same league. I'll give it a 6.5.