Blink and no doubt you would have missed the first couple of Ethereal EP’s, the first of which ‘Hell’s Divine Existence’ came out as early as 2005. It was only much more recently that the Liverpool based act caught proper attention from me playing several storming shows such as the one that was my first encounter with them back last April when they supported Belgium band Saille. Obviously it was not just me that they impressed, being snapped up by the ever reliable Candlelight Records for their debut album Opus Aethereum and joining the likes of last year’s signees Sidious on the label and helping prove there is some new and formidable black metal coming out of the UK at the moment.
From the more straightforward black metal leanings which the band first started out with as the line-up solidified along with a big reshuffle in 2013 so has the sound to display a much more symphonic approach. The problem I found with this live is that with it all being sampled there’s a little bit of impact missing but that can be forgotten as they sweep into things on disc with the slow booming drums and backing austere choral parts building on opener ‘Nomicon.’ It’s suitably epic and sounding like a war in outer space is about to hit. This it does with a beefy death grunt and massive scream from singer Naut which paves the way for everything to steam in and go full out. It’s fast and brutal and gives plenty of scope for neck-snapping as it powers out the speakers. There’s an air of the blockbuster about it and although it’s difficult not to compare to the likes of Dimmu Borgir and Old Man’s Child it has more of an urgency to it and the more traditional black elements and vocals are far more savage than anything they have done in years. There’s also quite a large emphasis on long flowing guitar parts here breathing life into the music and allowing it to progressively flow along, add some sinister spoken parts and they are hitting everything in their stride here. Not that you can appreciate the effect of it on album but another thing the band have going for them live is particular effective use of corpse paint it goes well with the slightly alien rasps and futuristic feel of the music which is pretty merciless as it belts and swaggers away on full pelt as displayed on numbers like ‘Overwrite The Archetype.’ Mixing handled in Poland’s Herz Studios by the Wieslawscy brothers is full blooded and punishing and the flourishing symphonic parts and the massive walloping drive displayed on ‘Unholy, Ungodly’ is nice and dramatic. It should be mentioned that although based in Liverpool this is a multi-national affair with some band members originally hailing from Poland.
As big as production is so too is the sense of melody here and although everything is dished out at a furious pace it easily makes its mark on numbers such as ‘Psalm Of The Deceiver.’ Lead guitar work flourishes amidst it and even if tracks are short and snappy honing in around the 4 minute mark there is such an epic sprawl about them they really do feel like you have been blown into another universe by them. I immediately recognised the warlike drumming intro to ‘Devouring The Forsaken’ from live shows and the track completely obliterates as it surges forward and ploughs away destroying all in its wake. ‘Aethereum’ is a little slower but this makes it all the more sinister and it conveys a big sense of atmosphere with it too as the long flowing leads whirl away and vocals bark, holler and rasp away. The last of these eight dark, futuristic hymns ‘Walking Death’ however after a great pompous symphonic melody line comes as fast as a completely unexpected slap round the face. It’s not as though they have purposely left the best till the last but it’s a great number which is the one that I consider sticks in the memory the longest out of them all and if I had to pick a favourite…
Opus Aethereum is a really solid debut album and it’s obvious that Ethereal have honed what they are doing with a great amount of care and dedication waiting until they are fully ready to launch this all out assault on us. I’m already looking forward to catching these numbers live again and doubt somehow it’s going to be long coming.
(8/10 Pete Woods)
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