This is the ninth album from Norwegian black/death metal band Aeternus.
Aeternus, (who contain current and ex-members of bands such as Gorgoroth and Gaahls Wyrd), play an expressive form of dark death metal that gains extra depth and substance from esoteric black metal components. On Philosopher, Across 39 minutes of material, Aeternus showcase their art’s efficacy in no uncertain terms.
Aeternus specialise in music that conjures up darkly menacing moods and enigmatic atmospheres. The songs are sophisticated hymns of considered depth and might. The black metal aspects provide a coating of feeling and an aura of mystical grace. The death metal elements provide the deep growled vocals, an injection of muscular weight, and a riff-focused slant to some of the guitars. Aeternus’ blend of black and death metal is balanced so that they take strengths from both parent styles.
The album showcases a firm grasp of songwriting. Aeternus know their way around a compelling riff, and their use of hooks is well-embedded in the music, be it an obvious catchiness or the sort of memorability that seeps into your awareness over time.
Many of the dark blackened grooves on Philosopher are delicious, and clearly a cut above the norm. Aeternus demonstrate an intelligence in selecting only some of the choicest riffs to appear on this record. In contrast to the obvious appeal of these standout parts, there’s also a level of introspection here that’s intimate and nuanced. I should also comment on the use of melody, which straddles both worlds and contributes to both potently; sometimes overt and arresting, or frequently woven into the fabric of the music as a whole. The music is layered in this way, adopting a deceptively simple approach to songwriting that nonetheless makes good use of the music’s various elements and the interplay between them all.
I have enjoyed Philosopher very much. It’s a professional and accomplished record that has been crafted by people that know what they’re doing. It’s an engaging collection of tracks, one which offers many dark rewards for fans of black/death metal that stands apart from many in the style.
Very highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 