Leukotomy are a Vietnamese black metal band and this is their debut album.
Eternal Path to Eden delivers 51 minutes of black metal that has a second wave base which has been adorned with avant-garde enrichments.
Leukotomy have a core of traditional black metal in their sound, and this provides the the music with venomous bite and a heart of darkness. Around this is woven a cloak of avant-garde experimentation that propels the music forward into more distinctive waters. Leukotomy exist in the same creative space that many of the original second wave bands found themselves in near the end of the 90s as they increasingly incorporated a diverse array of sounds and influences into their music. Eternal Path to Eden walks similar paths to these groundbreakers, all with its own voice.
So, imagine a harsh blackened foundation, built on by symphonic, ambient, avant-garde, noise, and experimental elements. Think of acts such as Mayhem, Sigh, Dødheimsgard, and …And Oceans, and you’ll be on the right lines.
The songs are well-written and take the listener on a journey through time and space. The narrative is that of a Gothic tragedy, but the feel is simultaneously wider and more esoteric, as the music delves into the well of primordial creativity that powered so many now-classic acts from decades ago. It’s impressive that Leukotomy have managed to take influence from this without losing their own identity. Eternal Path to Eden may have its identifiable origins and influences, but the experience it offers is its own.
Eternal Path to Eden is probably not for those uninitiated into the realms of the underground blackened arts, but in theory there’s no real reason it shouldn’t be. Despite its rough experimental edges, it delivers a shot of black metal straight from the underworld that’s enjoyable and engaging.
Make sure that you check this out to see what you think.
Wonderbox Metal 