AKHLYS – House Of The Black Geminus (Album Review)

Allegorical power of Greek mythology dream in extreme metal

Ah yes, Akhlys. Black metal is a style that has had a fairly peculiar evolution throughout its history, isn’t it. Utterly minimalist to begin, and lately permeated with the technical/dissonant bands. Quite the shift in tendencies. In the middle of that, there’s Akhlys, and they said “Hey, black metal is cool. Let’s use it as a conduit for nightmare fuel”. And so, they did use it for that purpose. What’s good about it is that it doesn’t rely on technicality. Technicality is fine in and of itself but can quickly turn gimmicky if it isn’t spot on. And this is unmistakably a story of substance over flash.

Another thing that’s good with this band and this album here is that it’s highly musical. It feels like a smooth listen, because the songs are built on strong musical themes; not sections assembled for the sole purpose of impressing. These are maturely thought out and carefully crafted pieces of music, that don’t feel like their shelf-life is over by the second listen. The sections stick, even on the more chromatic/non-melodic moments like Track 2 “Maze of Phobetor”. This is what happens when as a composer you focus on memorable melodies that lock in just right with the chord progressions. It’s that lasting, satisfying effect that makes you enjoy it upon first serving but also want to come back for more.

Black metal is at its best when it attempts to embody a complex universe, whether esoteric or mystical or generally metaphorical, and this does just that as it puts a raging extreme metal terror with atmospheric dread, along with a captivating sense of grief through melodic expression. Here, the anguish is as tangible and penetrating as ever. Only, they’ve added a facet to the sound: a distinctly industrial-tinged shine on the production, and the guitars in particular. They sound closer to a processed NIN guitar from the original Quake soundtrack. They’ve got that synthetic scintillating varnish for contour, and they mix in with the heavier textural drum component, forming one massive rhythm section, with the infernal vocals taking on the front row role.

Of course, there’s a genuine cinematic dimension over the black metal. A bit like Hans Zimmerman if he took way too much of that stuff, looking back at his friend saying “hey, this isn’t weed”. The entire title- track “Black Geminus” is the band asking Hollywood producers for a scoring job on the next big horror movie, and just like the rest of the album, it’s convincing and does not leave the listener indifferent.

Released By:  Debemur Morti Productions
Release Date: July 5th, 2024
Genre: Black Metal

Musicians:

• Naas Alcameth / Vocals, Keyboards, Ambience, Guitars, Bass
• Eoghan / Drums
• Nox Corvus / Guitars

“House Of The Black Geminus” Track List:

1. The Mask of Night-speaking
2. Maze of Phobetor
3. Through the Abyssal Door
4. Black Geminus
5. Sister Silence, Brother Sleep
6. Eye of the Daemon – Daemon I

Order “House Of The Black Geminus“ HERE.

8.5

Excellent

If you’re high and unsure which track to pick and too stoned to listen to the whole thing, pick ‘Sister Silence, Brother Sleep’. It’s a potent mixture of rhythmic dread, grand impactful themes, and a genuinely sorrowful chorus with a most epic drive. But hah, you fool, it’s ten minutes long. Too late now, you’ve already started. It’s always nice to hear something from the current scene actually sound fresh and exciting, but also that is a meaningful work rather than a one-time use disposable good.

• Songwriting
  8.5

• Musicianship
  8

• Originality
  8.5

• Production
  9