Portugal is not particularly well known for its black metal scene and if we are honest it doesn’t really have many of the genres biggest names, but that doesn’t mean the scene isn’t strong. Scratch away at the surface and you will find that Portugal has spawned more than its fair share of blackened filth.

Onirik are one such band and they are certainly not newcomers having been infesting the Portuguese underground since 2002 When I say, “they” I should actually say “he” as Onirik comprises just one member, Gonius Rex (although he is helped out by Dirge Rep on drums for this release), which makes the quality of this album even more impressive.

‘The Fire Cult Beyond Eternity’ does not mess around with the seemingly ubiquitous black metal atmospheric intro but dives straight in with dirty sounding, abrasive riffs before the melody kicks in accompanied by a black metal roar. From there the track builds around an almost hypnotic groove leading into ‘Trapped in Flesh, Blood and Dirt’ which is a little faster and more aggressive with a raw, perhaps even icy feel to it.

The atmosphere so far is reminiscent of some of the earlier Scandinavian black metal releases, but this evolves a little as nine-minute epic ‘Assigned to the Inexorable Flames’ builds. A little more majestic than the earlier tracks, it still retains the incongruous core fundamental to this release. Harmonies retain prominence on ‘Melodies of Reflections and Praise’ weaving amongst the underlying black metal dissonance.

The pace slows a little on ‘Granted the Vision, Molded into Stone’ becoming more reminiscent of a black metal dirge with a repetitive, almost mesmerising beat. ’Murmurs of the Aging Vessel’ has a slightly more chugging feel to its rhythms, but once again the melodies are at the forefront and become all encompassing, a theme which continues through the albums closing track ‘Apathy of Might’.

At a superficial level this album is black metal infused with prominent, cascading and swirling melodies. However, multiple listens strip away the layers revealing the complex strata within and it is soon evident that there is far more to this than was first apparent. Although it is clearly centred around a more traditional black metal sound, there is far more depth and it is well worth exploring.

(8/10 Andy Pountney)

https://www.facebook.com/Onirik-119896961420616

https://onirik.bandcamp.com/album/the-fire-cult-beyond-eternity