Well I guessed that Perihelion had something to do with astronomy and indeed it is the point that a planet or asteroid is nearest to the sun. The cover of the album here kind of gives that one away too. As to what Neokhrome means, well research has drawn a blank but for our purposes they are a group from Hungary who formed in 2002 and with this have three albums to their name. They define themselves as providing “majestic, soaring, chaotic soundscapes floating towards the farthest regions of what mind can grasp” and that is a pretty good description as play is pressed on the album. As I delved in further I could hear a lot of things behind this which did certainly provide me with comparisons of others within the post black metal world that Neokhrome obviously take their inspiration from. Everything they have created though right down to the professional artwork and presentation behind this self-released album is fresh and impressive, the production and the music itself is well composed and yet again I find myself listening to a band who deserve to have been signed by someone but it would seem have not.
‘Aurea’ is one of those instrumental soundscapes and opens the album in a twinkling, glistening rapture ala the likes of Junius and Alcest. It’s a nice shoegazing affair and draws you in leaving you wondering if the whole album is going to be like this. It is not in the slightest and ‘Stellar Outcast’ booms in with harmonious clean croons and a rampant flurry of drums. Growls are next and I am reminded quite solidly of Borknagar here. It’s got a nice chunky sound to it and the blackened swaggers compliment the grandiose swirling sound from the more ambient passages, which have a cold shimmering and very Ukrainian or maybe even Transylvanian sort of feel behind them. As ‘Starborn’ piles in next I find myself name checking another band but with the atmospheric keyboards, weaving guitar lines and croaky vocals it is nigh on impossible not to mention Emperor. Still you cannot fault the band; if they are taking a page out of other band’s books they are certainly picking the best of them. Clean vocals hit the Arcturian summit and this is another formidable number standing proudly in its own right.
‘Closer To The Sun’ is another instrumental full of atmospheric trembling guitars and ethereal keyboards, there is no beating around the pine-scented bush here at all. This is pure Negura Bunget and there is no denying it. It has to be said this one was a little cheeky but they boom back into things with ‘Rise Above The Ridge’ an angry and astral voyage that is fast and furious with a great standout melody running through it, spoken word parts and a real sense of majesty and immensity.
I really enjoyed this album and was very impressed with it on the whole. Sure it might not be the most original sounding listen around but the band do walk the talk and are not by any means mere shadows of the aforementioned referenced outfits. With the bouncy groove of ‘Through The Surface’ full of progressive flourishes and clean croons that even would give Ihsahn a run for his money this certainly deserves to be heard. Apparently the band have appeared on tribute albums to Bathory and Ved Buens Ende; here they have played tributes to plenty of others and done it damn well getting a solid score from me in the process.
(8/10 Pete Woods)
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