Long running Hellenic black metal band Thy Darkened Shade kick off my new year. I assume this is a companion piece to their 2014 album but as this is my first dance with the (I think) duo I have no idea of the linkage.
‘Luciftias’ begins with slow, doom haunted music and devotional vocals; that deep voiced vocal style and choral backing that conjures up the Greek scene for me and weaving in a little of Root circa ‘The Book’. It’s a very dark, very classy introduction to the band. It has thought, it has melody and it has a thick atmosphere too. ‘Sacrosanct Pyre’ however bursts into flame; howled vocals, drum battery and scampering, sometimes discordant guitar runs in a very orthodox style interspersed by excellent half spoken vocals and that melodic choral style. It spans a restless and writhing seven minutes and creates an intense, absorbing experience. ‘Into Eerie Catacombs’ however almost re-treads the exact same path; feel, speed, length just perhaps with moments of early Celtic Frost in the riffing.
‘Sathanastasis’, pushing the playing time up to nine and a half minutes is a slower theme initially before a little more speed comes to the music. Once more the use of vocals; howled, screamed, rough edge spoken, choral is exemplary and the nicely picked bass is a perfect match. Just it really goes nowhere to justify the length for me. Like everything here it is fine, serious black metal with a skilled hand on every aspect of playing but sometimes it seems to tread water. With the majority of songs being six minutes plus this eventually poses a problem when you try to take in the album as a whole.
There is a curious sense of a metaphysical search throughout, most certainly. ‘Qelippot Epiphany’ is a particularly bright area here. There is a sense of eyes opened, a touch of the goth woven into the acolyte’s cloth and a much more distinct shape to it as a song. ‘Veneration For The Fireborn King’ too possesses this but in a direct, tempestuous and fiercely driven manner that some of the longer songs lack.
I guess when you listen to song like that and ‘Noxious Witchery Of The Titans’ no black metal fan should have many if any complaints. Even at seven minutes this is a viciously enjoyable, violent, stormy ride with echoes of ‘Anthems…’ Emperor in its folds. It works stunningly well where a couple of the earlier tracks didn’t quite hook in.
‘Typhonian Temple’ closes things in more controlled sedate fashion but I think my spirit is still tearing through the previous tracks stormwinds.
Sounds like I’m being too down on this, I know. But to hopefully correct that impression it is relative. From the first song on the album you know you are in the hands of artists with talent and more importantly huge vision .If I got lost a little here and there on their personal journey then perhaps my soul simply became lost on their path. But make no mistake this is an album to be deeply respected. If you are drawn to the devotional satanic muse, the deep enveloping atmosphere and bursts of wild power then step through this gate.
A fine start to the year, and I suspect this may grow on me too….
(7.5/10 Gizmo)
Leave a Reply