Acherontas - Ma IoN (Formulas of Reptilian Unification) (2014)

Hellenic black metallers Acherontas have yet to waste my time with any of their full-length records, yet I'd be hesitant to claim that they'd fully knocked one out of the park. Until now. Efforts like Theosis and Amenti flirted with greatness, but Ma IoN (Formulas of Reptilian Unification) immerses us within a fully realized, matured sound that offers paeans to both the gnarled, grisly black metal tradition and the occult atmospherics that have long lingered in the eaves of celestial darkness that populate their discs. To wit, it's not a massive stylistic departure, rather just a refinement of those present contrasts in the earlier material, but a damn good one. If it seemed like there was this ceaseless tirade of quality amidst the Greek scene in 2014, with killer sophomore albums by newish bands like Thy Darkened Shade, Hail Spirit Noir and also a career effort from the legendary Varathron, then this quintet of extremely seasoned musicians has seen fit to 'extend the reign', perhaps not on that same level of dominance, but extremely close...

The two deciding factors on why I enjoyed this more than their other albums are just how far they've come along with the ambient components and frisky leadwork, the former imbued with all manner of raw percussion, vaporous swells and pads, brooding chants, articles of ethnic antiquity. The solos in tunes like the intro "Fires of Prometheus" are just amazing, slicing and frivolous exhibitions of chaos that remind me of death metal cult classics like that first Nocturnus album, only embedded within chord progressions that are purely black metal circa older Bathory, Mayhem, Marduk, etc. There is a constant, unhinged feeling throughout the record due to the abusive charisma of vocalist Acherontas V. Priest, whose garbles and grumbles function both when they're straightforward and ugly, and also bouncing off the vaulted ceilings of the recording thanks to some tasteful reverb. Many of his lines might fall within the same wheelhouse of structure and tonality, but I found it nearly impossible to predict what syllables he was going to spit in any succession and thus the album, while possessing a solid rhythmic backbone, feels fresh and sporadic (not unlike that latest Varathron).

Riff phrases are nearly as psychotic, shifting between banks of turgid, bleak chords and flightier ascensions into tremolo pickings to accompany the blasts. Percussion is everywhere on this disc, from thundering toms to hissing cymbals and it all contributes to a sense of this black vortex which does a service to the excellent, alluring cover art. Bass lines swerve and cavort among the sickly coupling of the beats and guitars. But what's better, once the band segues into this completely dusky, ethnic piece like "Convolut-ion, Manifestat-ion, Secret-ion, Karma-Iravatl the Thunders Emerged" it really fits into the patchwork nature of the ritualistic concepts. I was ensnared by every single dark ambient distraction on the entire effort...even when they're placed back to back like "Permutations in the Aetheric Void" and "Shaman and the Waning Moon". Fortunately they'll often toss of a few of the grimier black metal rasps or whispers in among these to keep the experience coherent.

Now, I'll be honest, I haven't the fucking clue what the band is on about most of the time...the '-ion' suffix gimmick is an interesting one that had my head reeling. I am just not ancient enough. I know it scares me, and I would not want to be abducted by these guys while I was on a summer vacation in Crete or Mykonos or somewhere. Is this entire album just one massive love letter to the Gorgons? A serenade for the serpentine embodiment of the Medusa? It certainly turned me to stone, no easy feat when you consider that with 70 minutes of material this could very easily have gone off the rails. Oh, it does, it does so with pride, all the while plummeting with a cackling joy into the Underworld it longs for. At times calming, at times frenzied, a night storm sweeping across the Aegean, the best of Acherontas yet.

Verdict: Win [8.5/10]

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Acherontas/144671698890576

Acherontas - Amenti - Ψαλμοί Αίματος και Αστρικά Οράματα (2013)

Acherontas is a band which has always gone out of its way to create the most ritualistic, mystic atmosphere possible in Greek black metal, or rather, in all European black metal. Whether this has been achieved through a sweeping brush of orchestration or a more tribal focus is not really in question: either way, when you're going into one of the group's new efforts, your in just as much for the non-metal aesthetics as you are for the tremolo picked guitars and ghastly vocals which buffet the listener like dragon wings. Never has this been the case more so than their latest album, Amenti - Ψαλμοί Αίματος και Αστρικά Οράματα (Catacomb Chants & Oneiric Visions), a substantial, hour plus collection of ideas and layers that occasionally had me riveted.

Seriously, half the album felt like raging against the heavens to the more traditional, Scandinavian styled riffs and pacing; and the other was like sitting in some exotic bazaar two thousand years ago with Dead Can Dance providing the soundtrack. Though they've always been pretty good (especially on Theosis in 2010), Acherontas have never been monsters at concocting the stickiest of guitar progressions; and that has not changed with this, but honestly there is so much happening at any given moment that you're unlikely to lament this omission for long. From simple, churning background chords to lighter, grooving bass lines, bells and other percussion, a panoply of growls, snarls and screams...numerous periods of chanting at the foreground and behind, rhythmic percussion which arrives sauteed in the haze of hashish or incense...to the textured and transient melodic eruptions which cascade about the dingy ceiling of the recording, there has been no effort spared in creating a complex (if not complicated) experience that you can pick through numerous times and not have fixated on every individual element.

But the Greeks avoid the calamitous potential such a broadly orchestrated, instrumented might evoke, so that they maintain a consistent, occult exoticism whether firing on all cylinders at the heart of "Set Triumphant - Nubti" or fully immersing themselves into the ancient, Eastern-flavored escapism of "Wines of Blood & Pestilence", with its caravan strings and escalating choir chants that provide what must be one of the most engrossing experiences I've ever had with an Acherontas record. Luckily, segues like this are common enough that you don't feel robbed, or that any one in particular does not stick out against the heavier tunes like a deer in the headlights, which so often happens on albums which incorporate an ethnic, ambient or experimental piece. Plenty to be had here, beyond just the usual into and outro, and never once did I feel like the writing was too cluttered...there aren't too many cooks in this kitchen.

To top it off, while the different tones and levels are hardly bold or brazen, everything is mixed meticulously so you won't miss out on the details. Bass is smooth, drums steady, nimble and potent, and the guitar melodies and harmonies are given just as much of a push as the rhythm guitars. I can't say that a lot of the metal riffs would be quite distinct if peeled apart from the other instruments or the myriad vocals, but they do not really need to be, since they add to rather than subtract from the exotic context of the mythic and black magickal themes of the lyrics. Exquisite but menacing. Whether your poisons include Septic Flesh, Hollenthon, Melechech or earlier Emperor, Rotting Christ and Old Man's Child, this is worth hearing, especially if you enjoyed the previous outing, Vamachara. Actually, I took away more from this than even Theosis, my previous favorite of their catalog.

Verdict: Win [8/10]

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Acherontas/144671698890576

Acherontas - Vamachara (2011)

Acherontas finally peaked out with Theosis, a studied contrast in both turbulent compositional style and eloquent leads and melodies which married well to their occult lyrical inclinations. The Greeks seemed to have carried the Scandinavian influences of their years as Stutthof to a new level of awareness that they infused with their own, personal identity. Frankly, they had been scaling in quality so much with each new record that I fully expected their latest effort Vamachara to be the stuff of instantaneous legend. Sorry to say, that's not quite the case here, as the band seem to have leveled off, but where the album does surpass the sophomore is in its production values, which are far less jumbled than Theosis or Tat Tvam Asi.

Impressive are the ritual invocation vocals to "Opening the Eye of the Storm", Acherontas V.P.9 pouring his all into a ghoulish recital with layered horns, synthesizers and whispers. After this, the band storms forward into the "Blood Current Illumination" tremolos lines glazed in sparser melodic notes while the drums blast away thuggishly below. Clean vocals, soaring and mumbling are sent out into the vortex of rhythms, and all of it feels a lot more polished than Theosis, if not one iota shallower in composition. "Abraxas" follows with brazen walls of crashing chords against an empty backdrop, before its own alchemical conversion to thunder; while "Vamachara" itself is a pretty straight Scandinavian styled blast-off similar to Marduk, Dark Funeral or Emperor. Far more interesting, though, are the tracks "Ohm Krim Kali", which is all exotic mysticism given flesh by ominous prayers, rampant percussion and strings that make the listener feel as if he or she is in some sorcerous bazaar; or "Drakonian Womb", the 11+ minute finale which has a lot more variation than the earlier pieces.

Sadly, the more fascinating tail end of Vamachara lends it a certain lopsidedness. Most of the earlier metallic tracks are pretty much par for the course, with uninteresting blast sequences and not a lot of memorable notation outside of the few gleaming melodies coming to the fore. The vocals seem disjointed and confused, even though there are periods on the album in which Acherontas himself excels...like the opener. In summation, it feels like a giant, ritual mess that wants to be so more much than its rather average black metal trappings will allow it for, and the fact that the musicians are obviously very capable doesn't really work out in its favor. The previous album also had of confusion and distraction in its mix, but somehow that seemed to work in its favor, where I spent most of the time in Vamachara waiting for something to stick. It's certainly a competent effort (Acherontas have yet to release a bad album), but it's not yet the masterwork this outfit is surely capable of scribing.

Verdict: Win [7.25/10]

http://www.myspace.com/acherontas

Acherontas - Hermeticism EP (2011)

Coming of their strongest effort to date, Theosis, Acherontas continue to define and expand themselves through this brief EP Hermeticism, involving two tracks and 10 minutes of new material which for the most part continues the legacy of that full-length. One will notice that there is less of an intricate melodic palette here, the Greeks tend towards a simpler but more atmospheric construction, and yet the effect is much the same, carrying the listener into both an under- and overworld of occult expressions and ideas, with both abruptness and subtlety behind every shift in tempo.

'Side Draconian' involves the title track, a ringing balance of thick chords and discordant, sparse melodies that slowly gathers force as the deep narration and rasps begin to unfurl over a thin but impeccable lead. This then evolves into a beat, and inevitably to the warlike thunder of double bass beneath an awning of tremolo and echoing vocals. There are blasts later in the song, but it also measures itself off with more double bass segments to which dissonant, drafty guitars are applied. "Meum Nomen Deus", which is on 'Side Sorcery' has a similar balance of blasting surges, eerie guitars, tons of sweltering atmosphere and depth, and if I had to make one complaint about the EP it would just be that the songs feel too much the same in terms of overall development...

At any rate, if this is any indicator of where the new album Vamachara (also through Agonia) is going to move the Greeks, then we should be in for another experience that at least rivals the strong Theosis, even if these particular songs don't exactly surpass that. Hermeticism is a more potent sound, with less of the dueling tremolo streams that comprised its predecessor, but the atmosphere of the drumming presents a rock solid basin for the chords to simmer and the evil melodies to slice.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

http://www.myspace.com/acherontas

Acherontas - Theosis (2010)

In about 13 years of recording and releasing music, I'd have to say that Theosis is the finest hour of the Greek conjurer Acherontass, surpassing not only the Acherontas debut Tat Tvam Asi (Universal Omniscience) in quality, but everything else. Better than the side projects Acrimonious or Nihasa. Certainly better than the band's prior incarnation, Stutthof. At the same time, it's also not exactly a deviation from the formulas he was creating on many of those releases, it just handles everything that much better, from the blazing tangle of melodies to the exotic, occult atmosphere being wrought from the lyrics, orchestral segues, and the practiced implementation of variation between tracks to that this doesn't come off as another ribald blast-fest to nowhere.

Yes, Theosis still draws its influence from the same sources of Emperor, Marduk, Mayhem, and other infamous North machines, but it treats the niche with an elegance that the members' former recordings only attempted. From the raging, layered depths of "Pestilence of Mortality" with its subtle, plunking bass lines, to the measured, nightmarish slog of "The Winged Skull Rising" which manages 9 minutes of content without the listener getting bored. Acherontas has at last achieved their capability as a veteran of the field. Each track, even those that are not entirely catchy, shows clear intricacy in its craftsmanship and composition, and they've very carefully broken up the momentum of the metal pieces with lush, scintillating ambient pieces like "Dream of Adam Kadmon", one of the most absorbing pieces here. Another winner is "Finis Coronat", with its glorious bouts of speed, escalating orchestral backdrop. Or "Apethantos": when it hits that groaning, clean vocal alongside its dissonant guitars after the 2:00 minute mark, you know that greatness if very near.

This is also not some overproduced mass, but a pretty thinly sliced selection of ingredients which work wonders in tandem. The drumming is dead accurate whether the band is blasting or reducing itself to an atmospheric crawl, and there are so many melodies present that the album becomes a matrix of near-complexity. The bass is not exactly blaring, but nor does it follow along with the guitars so closely that it loses its identity. The lyrics are largely self-centered examinations of both the spiritual interior and the cosmos at large, but they also take a few meters to trample the follow of modern, organized religion ("Pestilence of Mortality"). Maybe Theosis is not the most memorable of Hellenic efforts I've explored through my research, but it's a quality culmination of a career that promises even better in the future.

Verdict: Win [7.75/10] (the mutated gene of the coming race)

http://www.myspace.com/acherontas

Necromantia/Acherontas - ...For the Temple of the Serpent Skull EP (2008)

...For the Temple of the Serpent Skull... is not only a substantial collection of quality Greek black metal, at least within the schematic of a split record, but also a gathering of the 'old and new' in this particular occultist niche of the genre. We've got both the (once) mighty veterans Necromantia offering two solid contributions, but also Acherontas (formerly known as Stutthof), who had released their decent debut Tat Tvam Asi (Universal Omniscience) the year prior; and I'll admit, that the pairing seems very natural. Even if Necromantia is the more unique of the pair, with their signature second distorted bass supplanting a guitar, most of the material found here is incredibly here is incredibly atmospheric, and for the most part...exclusive to this release.

We've already heard "People of the Sea" on the limited 7" of the same name (also through Dark Side Records), but as I mentioned in that review, this is the place to own it, since you're getting like 36 minutes of music total (about an album's worth, when you think about it). The other Necromantia track, "Magnum Arcanum", is 12 and a half minutes in length, a grand and diabolical movement which is more symphonic than anything else they'd done of late, basically hearkening back to the bewitching threads of evil that dominated Scarlet Evil Witching Black. The muddy bass tones run beneath the orchestral glaze like a river of the dead; the intermittent bridge sequence, which features harried, light tribal percussion beneath shining synthesizers and deep, clean ritual vocals, is also a delight, and though it does often feel as if it were rushed or shoved together at the last moment, it's 100% old school charm.

And yet, "Magnum Arcanum" is not the leviathan of this release. Acherontas' "The Order of the Silver Serpent" is almost 18 minutes in total, with three distinct movements. The first, "Invocation" incorporates creepy synthesizer tones, whispers and distant backing choirs as it slowly gathers steam into the raging Scandinavian black metal symphony that is "Sacrifice". I cannot promise that the riffing itself is all that different from the rather average fair the band were writing as Stutthof, but deeper in the belly of the epic, they increase speed to a truly punishing blast with some of the harshest vocals on the album, and the result is crushing enough to leave only a brimstone stain where your body was seated (or standing). Too much of this could kill a human being, so it's fortunate that the "Rising" outro sequence is performed with clean, ambient guitars that gently fade out into oblivion.

Neither of these extensive works is necessarily among its respective artists' finer repertoire, but pooled together, they promise an eerie marriage of black magic and mystery that might well thrill the black metal fan who goes out for existentialism and carnal spirituality. "The Order of the Silver Serpent" would later be released again on an Acherontas compilation, which might be easier to find, but Necromantia die-hards will want this just for "Magnum Arcanum", and to save themselves the trouble of the People of the Sea EP.

Verdict: Win [7/10] (the truth absorbs the lie)

http://www.myspace.com/necromantiaband
http://www.myspace.com/acherontas

Acherontas - Tat Tvam Asi: Universal Omniscience (2007)

Rather than continue parading about under the brand of a Polish WWII death camp, the men of Stutthof decided to transition into a more thematically appropriate moniker. Thus Acherontas was born, named for a former Greek municipality, and by extension the river Acheron (both real and mythological). To say that they also shifted their genre would be misleading, because Tat Tvam Asi: Universal Omniscience does resemble Stutthof's derived formula of Scandinavian black metal, only they engage further in the mysticism and philosophical musings of history and the occult, and there are greater aural contrasts between their blasted savagery and lust for classical segues and interludes.

Of course, this last bit comes once again at a cost. Whereas the second Stuffhof full-length had the gall to incorporate several pieces from The Ninth Gate film score, this time they've chosen "Alfa: Genesis" from Clint Mansell's score to The Fountain. It's a comely, swollen piece with strings and pianos, but I can't say that I appreciate it's place here on a black metal album. With the relative ease of access to synthesizers, musical software and such, why not write your own original piece to kick off the album? I understand Acherontas means no harm in including the bit, perhaps they just want to expose the piece to an audience who might not otherwise ever check it out, but it feels such a contrived and inane maneuver (much like it was the last time they did it). It also creates a massive dichotomy against the raw sewage surge of the title track, which is streaming and passionate black metal to the bone, with growls, snarls and deeper clean vocals plowing forth against a tinny blast beat and dense but unmemorable bank of chords.

Once this initial chunk of the album has passed, things become considerably better. I enjoyed the noisy ebb and flow of "Soma - Elixir of the Ancient Ones", the mid-paced gallantry erupting into a measured, melodic blast sequence, and the same convocation of crowning, schizoid vocals. The Greeks grow even more ambitious for "Kali-Yuga", a nearly 10 minute stretch of theatrical menace conveyed through bombastic, airy synthesizers (the ones that could have been used to write an original into) and guitars both gliding and punishing. Individual riffs rarely stick out in the compositions, but they convene into stratospheric, nightsky nightmares, like the writhing and searing orchestration of "The Final Harvest" or the haunted house barrage "The Dreamer".

Where they do write their own little ambient/classical interludes, like "Sophia" and "Omega: The Seal of the Dragon", you get a taste that they can really show their hands. The mix of pianos and synthesized orchestral instruments gives the album a sweltering other-ness to it, like some jaded scholar discovering evidence that sorcery or alchemy are, in fact, realities hidden from the world of skeptics. It's excitable and energetic about its subject matter and twining its influences into a musical glory beyond their former incarnation. The production is resonant but still fairly raw. In truth, I enjoyed this album more than either of the Stutthof full-lengths, but I just wish they'd shy away from the movie score bits and start their record off with some thunder. Tat Tvam Asi: Universal Omniscience eventually catches up to the listener, but it takes a good 10 minutes. In addition, the riffs seem to always lack that certain something that allows their retention.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

http://www.myspace.com/acherontas