Mystifying, enigmatic, furtive and surreptitious could all be aligned when trying to capture the essence of Misotheist from Trondheim, Norway.

These Scandinavians aren’t draped in past victories, or a history of elaborate outfits and smoke screens; instead, they have bombarded us with this, their first release.and have been brazen enough just to decorate it with their own moniker as a subject heading.

The trio of tracks are all post 10 minutes, building in length as they work through the release. ‘Misotheist’ opens with ‘Carriers Of Captivity’ and there is a definite dark and malevolent back bone, yet they inject a sharp and punchy soul into the blackened emotion of the track. The vocals are powerful and create a perfect overture to the strings and neck breaking drums which accompany it.

‘Beast And Soil’ is sonorous and unpitying in its assault on your auricles. It is majestic and powerful, and the components seem to work even better than on the opening track. Again the drums are commanding, mighty with the guitars, and throwing some delicacy into the mix. The vocals again are skilled and adept and it all helps to build a masterpiece, an epic marathon of a track.

The opus closes out with the longest of the 3 hymns, and is absolutely ruthless and unforgiving in the tirade it transcends upon your being. It is built with layers, and the layers build upon each other to generate an absolute beast in itself. Again the vocals are angelic in their darkness, and they lie on top of some absolute behemoths of instrumental work by the other spirits within the band.

This is a path which hasn’t been trodden before, so it will take some nerve to open the door and elect to venture down the conduit. If you do though, this trio of tracks will leave you battered and euphoric all in the same breath. You will be drawn into the darkness and this band and creation will certainly leave you wanting for more

(8/10 Phil Pountney)

https://terraturpossessions.bandcamp.com/album/misotheist-misotheist