Black Aeons “Entering The Shadows”
Entering The Shadows will be released November 1st on Silent Watcher Records
German blackened death metal act Black Aeons take great inspiration from the origins of melodic black and death metal acts like Dissection, Unanimated and Sacramentum. Taking the roots of the genre and adding the band’s infusion and viewpoint on war and death. Formed in 2002, the band released demos and gaining attention from Silent Watcher Records. Now, with the release of their debut album Entering The Shadows, Black Aeons looks to make a statement and make a name for themselves amongst the burgeoning and rising acts of black metal today.
The album opens with the song “Viva la Mort”. An entrancing piano, soaked in reverb and rising dungeon-synth like pads join beneath it. Opening the album in a peaceful, somber and dark undertone that entices the listener of the journey they are about to embark on.
“Dawn of A New Time” officially kicks off the album. With warping, tribal-esque noises in the distance, the track hits the ground running with aggressive drumming and tremolo guitars. Blackheart13’s phlegmy, grizzly vocals match the haunting and ominous tone of the music. More guttural in delivery and less cliché black metal shrieking. I love the melodic black metal section before the halfway mark. Creating an homage to almost traditional heavy metal, before a guttural growl kicks the intensity back up. The dueling guitar harmonies, soaring above the war-like percussion of drummer Phol, adds a layer of bombastic-like aggression. The lead guitar before the close of the song wraps up the song peacefully with one last call to the sky delivery in the vocals.
On “Beast of Steel”, the song opens with rising, horror movie quality background effects before reverb heavy drums start the song proper. The earworm guitar riff instantly made me bob my head along, especially as it heads into a chuggy breakdown at the quarter mark. Vocals are more snarly on this song compared to the previous. The drums also have so much punch and vigor in every strike, especially in the tom hits during the verse sections. The pace change and tremolo leads after the halfway mark almost double-time the song and pick up the evil and brooding tone before the guitar solo kicks in.
Front man Blackheart13
“Let Them Bleed” opens with a heavy and aggressive second wave of black metal sound you’d get with acts like Marduk. The spoken incantation part, segueing into blast beats, just hits hard and delivers that punch of heaviness. Hostility incarnate in the vocals, a beautiful juxtaposition of phlegmy, distorted gutturals to ominous demonic priest in the spoken word sections. Creating a visual of Blackheart13 communicating with the unholy deity he is summoning. The more distorted lead guitar over the blast beats at the three-quarters mark builds into a wailing and unknown tension as the drums intensify. Potentially my favorite track off the debut.
“Relentless Fire” has a more chug-heavy, old school death metal sounding opening guitar riff. I instantly stank-faced when the double bass and the palm-muted riffing came in. A furious opening riff and keeps the motif of the song leaning into a true bare bones blackened death metal song. Drums have flurries of blast beats and double bass, but also carry a nice groove throughout the song. Paying homage to that old school death metal sound you’d get from acts like Obituary or Entombed. The halfway mark truly show the song getting heavier and faster thanks to the double bass adding more drive and presence to the riff.
“Ode To Ares” opens with a drum-fill lead into tremolo guitars and consistent snare hits. Guitars are nicely layered and fill the space of the mix. Adding an almost cavernous reverb heavy tone to the song’s mix. The simple strumming and extra snare hits in the chorus add a progressive and switch-up that breaks up the simplicity the genre sometimes falls under. Drums truly shine on the track. With random double ride cymbal hits, fast and consistent double bass and intricate snare combos. I do love the closing three-quarters mark with the aggressive guitars and drums again showcasing with the tom fills.
A distorted and intensifying riff opens “Wolves of The Sea”. Double bass pummels the listener, really accenting and adding more power to the riff. Though starting off sprinting, the song seems to shift to a more midtempo pacing, which is kind of hit/miss for me. I liked the high-energy opening, and I do like the slower moments of the song. Although I sometimes think that they counter in either the heaviness or the delivery the band was going for. The song combines both of these elements after the halfway mark, and It kind of works, but not 100% in my opinion.
“Into Darkness and Decay” has trademark black metal guitar tone and playing in the opening riff. Bass really is present on the track. Almost louder than the guitar in the opening moments. The eeriness of synth vocals beneath the riff and growl vocals truly creates an otherworldly, unknown feeling that matches the song’s title. The riff out of that section made me instantly bob my head along. I love the bass on the song, really adding that darkness and deep tone to the uneasy feeling of the track. Plus, the synth choir I adore in black metal and truly makes the song more unhinged or ominous. The spoken word section, over the soaring guitars, is a nice transition section and done perfectly with the production as the double bass comes in.
A somber, peaceful acoustic guitar opens “Shadow of A Dying Light”. Creating a swaying effect in the headphones as piano joins the song, twinkling in the ether of the space. Before THUNDERING double bass breaks the ease of the song’s opening. Guitars lead with both chugging heaviness and nice accenting leads in the melody. Double bass is slowed down, but still adds that pulse to the guitars before the playing switches up between heavy metal, clean strum patterns and high-octane melodic death metal at some moments.
Bass leads again with simple drums in the opening of “All Life Gone”. Rattling chains and lead guitars soar in the mix amongst the simple, high bass playing and simplicity of the drumming. Then, the gas hits the fire as the song’s kicks into gear. With guitars almost creating a hybrid of Dissection and Venom in the playing, along with the speed metal/punk-like drumming. The tom-heavy bridge with ringing guitar leads really just hits hard in that section. Along with the ringing strums of the guitar before the punk drumming comes back. Lead guitars hang above it all in the mix, before the guitar and drums sprint for the finish line with ferocity and fury.
The album closes with the instrumental track “Path To Valhalla”, With beautifully mixed acoustic guitar, you get that reverb and chorus on both guitars. Creating a harmonious, ascending effect as it sounds like they are playing in the sky above the listener. Not too complicated or complex in the playing, but very peaceful and sobering as it lulls the listener into the acceptance of what awaits them after the journey they have traveled. Closing out the album in not an aggressive growl or blast beat, but in a moment of self-reflection and coming to terms with one’s fate.
Black Aeons’ debut album truly was an enjoyment to listen to. The album combined a nice mixture of blackened/melodic death metal and black metal, while also adding nice ambient and creative sections with the accompaniment of acoustic guitars and synth elements. I do think this was a strong debut and the band is on to something with their sound. I do think my one critique was the band should have included more synths and acoustic moments in their songs a bit more. It almost brought a folk element to the sound that bands like Windir and Bathory incorporated into their sound and pushed their sound to a more diverse, creative, and fitting to the lyrical themes of the album. I do recommend keeping an eye on this act, since they are on to something with this album and I will be curious what they will do next on their sophomore album.
SCORE: 4.5 / 5
