Born out of Dodecahedron, Dutch band Autarkh play “contemporary extreme metal”, reflecting the members’ backgrounds which range from metal to techno.
The opening is dark, spooky and somewhere between industrial and cosmic. Unsurprisingly this leads into “Turbulence”, a darkly industrial piece with black metal blast beats. As anvils hammer, the screams echo and the atmosphere is that of horror. The chorus sounds as if it comes from another world. It is all as promised extreme and without boundaries, giving a distinct impression of chaos as both instrumentals thrash around in their loud and manic way. It’s not true to say there’s no pattern, but in amongst the hammering and ranting, you’ll get an unexpected haunting chorus before normal chaos resumes. After a quick and undefinable interlude, the extreme discordance continues. “Introspectum” is like listening to a blast industrial version of Darkane. Anaal Nathrakh are the other band that came to my mind, as our minds are invaded by sweeping venom and sound walls. Autarkh leave no apace to breathe with this stifling avant-garde form of extreme metal. We re-enter space, but it is no less dark or menacing than anything we’ve heard. “Metacognition” is the prelude to the violent black metal of “Clouded Aura”. There is a song in there but it’s as if the drums are beating our brains out. The noise wall is impenetrable as the industrial storm continues. We’re told that the album gives way from intrusive uneasiness to a sense of epic victory towards the end. I’m not sure about that but whilst “Alignment” has lost none of the extremism or avant-garde heaviness, it has a tinge of compromise compared to the others, and greater loftiness in its epic message. The album closes with the industrial breakdown of “Zeit ist nur eine Illusion”.
We’re put through our paces on “Form in Motion”, which is as far from light listening as you could ever get. It is extreme but a lot has gone into the sound effects and structures to make this album heavily atmospheric.
(8/10 Andrew Doherty)
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