Once again, I stumbled more or less by chance across a band on the vastness of the internet that piqued my curiosity and appealed to me with their music. This time it's Achathras, who released their debut album a few weeks ago—without a prior demo or EP—directly through Cult Never Dies. Achathras surround themselves in the best manner of the golden era of black metal in the 90s with a touch of mystery, although this is actually a clear understatement. Apart from pseudonyms, nothing is known to the public about the three band members, not even the origin of the band is clear. So many unknowns – in today's age of information overload and the need for recognition, this is refreshing. However, the band didn't want to completely forego media presence, so they have an Instagram and Facebook account as well as a Bandcamp page. The label itself only refers to veterans of the scene who want to revive the values of 90s black metal, whatever that means. By remaining anonymous while simultaneously posting on all relevant social media channels, this has not been 100% successful in my opinion, but perhaps the band should be allowed to adapt these values (whatever they may be) to the (technical and infrastructural) realities of today's world. The pictures of the band members, stylishly dressed with corpse paint and armed with weapons such as morning stars and swords, also fit in well with this nostalgic 90ies black metal image. Be that as it may, the description then lists such illustrious bands as Gehenna, Odium, Emperor, Hecate Enthroned, Obtained Enslavement, Taake, Old Man's Child, Ancient, Dimmu Borgir, Abigor, Covenant, Malignant Eternal, Forefather, and Mork Gryning as references, which are really not the worst references.
And so the album starts in typical fashion, much like many of the albums by the aforementioned protagonists and numerous other black metal heroes of the 90s, whether first, second, or third tier, with a truly atmospheric synthesizer intro, before getting down to business with “Anointed with Moonfire,” which is both heavy and melodic. In addition to some of the bands mentioned, the mighty Dissection also immediately come to mind for the inclined listener. It's easy to believe that experienced musicians are at work here, as everything seems very well thought out. Melodic frenzy, partly accompanied by synthesizers, is something Achathras are really good at, and in this respect, it should be clear by now that the genre of raw black metal, as pursued by early Mayhem, Gorgoroth, and Darkthrone after the release of their death metal debut “Soulside Journey” for at least a few albums, creating several milestones in the process, is not pursued here. The next track, “A Cerement of Flame,” also features screams, and melodic, shimmering guitars are accompanied by rumbling, fast drums. But it's the quiet part at the beginning of the song in particular that reminds me of the glorious Ancient at the time of their debut album “Svartavlheim,” whose class they unfortunately never managed to achieve again. “Emanation of Chaos” also features some brief thrash metal elements, while “Melancholy Wanderer” is a short but very successful acoustic interlude consisting of undistorted guitar arpeggios and synthesizers. " “The Curse of Supremacy” remains in slower, more solemn realms and thus has an anthem-like character, while “The Despiser Triumphs” starts off very aggressively again, then quickly plunges into fast speeds and black metal frenzy, skillfully underpinned by synthesizers and, in combination with the shrill black metal vocals, skillfully portraying hysteria—at times, one is indeed reminded, at least briefly, of Emperor's masterpiece “In the Nightside Eclipse,” even if Achathras don't go about their work in such a brooding manner and don't quite reach the class of this masterpiece of the century, which is hardly something you can or should hold against the band, because who has ever come close to achieving this opus in a musical sense? Finally, “A Lamenting Presence” is another fast, melodic track, before “The Uttermost Cold,” an atmospheric, somewhat sad outro, brings the listening pleasure to an end after 43 minutes.
In conclusion, I can only say that Achathras has succeeded in creating a great album in the best 90s style. There is nothing original here, but that was certainly not the band's goal. The much-vaunted spirit of the 90s is well captured on the album, and anyone who likes this era or enjoyed experiencing it, especially if they like the bands mentioned, will love this album. One minor criticism, and the reason I'm not calling it a perfect album, is that the whole thing sometimes sounds a little too smooth or clean. The odd rough edge or gritty attitude would have suited the listening experience and the authenticity of the band, but nevertheless, it's a really good album!
